02 July 2009 - 10:00
X1 is out
After all the blurred teaser shots and industry gossip, BMW has released pictures and info on the new X1.
Ignore the girl in the bikini for a moment (still with us?) and take a look at the car. It’s visually similar to the X3 and about the same size. In fact, when the X1 arrives, the X3 will gain a few pounds and shift up a segment. Which means the X1 – loosely based on a 3-Series – will become BMW’s new baby SUV.
The jacked-up suspension means you get an elevated driving position to look down on poor people. Further back, there are three proper seats with adjustable backrests. And overhead there’s an optional panoramic sunroof. So the interior doesn’t do anything innovative, but will inevitably be the usual high-class BMW affair.
As ever, though, the most impressive stuff lies underneath. You’ll be able to choose from rear- or four-wheel drive and take your pick from the usual roster of brilliant BMW engines. For the eco-minded, we recommend the sDrive18d that manages 136g/km of C02 and 54.3mpg – figures that should be stamped all over the car to appease anyone who thinks SUV is a byword for Screw the Planet.
Prices range from £22,660 to £29,055, and the X1 will hit showrooms in October.
Talking of the X3, here's a clip of Clarkson taking the soft-roader into the rough:
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I cannot agree to the sentiments in the video enough. Ban all this SUV rubbish. It clearly must be the devil's work, if it can entice a great car maker like BMW to kick out dogs like that. There is NO reason for these crapmobiles to exist, and therefore, they should be banned and their prospective buyers shot. The roads will be a lot cleaner for it (a lot less people of the "onion" persuasion driving, which will help no end on the amount of suicidal idiots you see on the road everyday).
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The X3 was a freaking ugly, pointless disgrace. Hopefully this X1 will be different enough to the X3/X5 to have a point to it. BMW should can the X3 and sell its parts to build a throne for that fitty in the bikini
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Boring. I keep staring at the bikini model. Bad marketing move, putting a girl in the shot who's far far far more attractive than the car. But seriously, what surfer can actually afford a BMW?
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Well I dont think this is ugly, I think its far more better looking than the earlier conceptcars and the Audi Q1.
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No, I'm sorry, that's a shit car. The X3 was pointless, why would making it smaller help? Plus it doesn't even look like a BMW, it looks like a godawful Chinese rip-off, in fact, it looks WORSE than THE Chinese rip-off of a Beemer SUV. This hideous niche-box with its Volvo-esque pushed-forward grille and stupid shallow-angled rear window and godawful tail lights makes me physically upset and queezy. And, really really, what's the bloody point of this car? "Well, Mercedes made that GLK and Audi's planning a Q3". No. Not good enough. If I wanted a bottom-of-the-tree BMW, I'd get a 1-Series, not some stupid pretend-off-roader that's following the crowd.
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BMWs keep getting uglier by the years!!
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How long has it been since BMW last made a good-looking car?
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looks quite cool
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Ignore the girl in the bikini? Since when?
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It looks like that Renault.... K.... someone help me out here please
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Well, it's not an amazingly pretty car is it really? In fact, the front of it looks like a surprised face from some angles. But look at it this way: It's a lot better looking than the X3... To be perfectly honest I don't see why anyone would pick this when there's plenty of other options out there.
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Well, it's not an amazingly pretty car is it really? In fact, the front of it looks like a surprised face from some angles. But look at it this way: It's a lot better looking than the X3... To be perfectly honest I don't see why anyone would pick this when there's plenty of other options out there.
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(@ Ben27) Koleos
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It reminds me of the BMW 5GT which has been in your maggers recently. Its a BMW which hardly anyone will want! people are going to be spoilt for choice, and then think ahh, ill just get a freelander cus its been around for a while. (BTW Ben27 its a Koleos.)
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It reminds me of the BMW 5GT which has been in your maggers recently. Its a BMW which hardly anyone will want! people are going to be spoilt for choice, and then think ahh, ill just get a freelander cus its been around for a while. (BTW Ben27 its a Koleos.)
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This car looks rather nice if I may say so. Kind of 7-Series styling at the front and 5 Series GT at the back. Not a bad combination really.
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I'll take the Girl in the bikini
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If the X3's offroading prowess is anything to go by that car will find it hard to get off the sand!
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Photo at the top of this page is it's best angle. The front's a mess with the upright kidney grille sitting between sagging headlight clusters and the downward slope of the radiator intake; like the 5GT (I like that number/letter combination better with a Renault badge!). The sides are slabby and flat shown up especially in white with small wheels and the back has those strange light "extensions" in the boot lid that don't work on the current 3 series or 1 series cabrio either. Interior is rather lovely though AND you won't be able to see the dogs' dinner styling from in there either! Will be driven by the terminally undiscerning in any case - to be cutting you up with no indicators or mirror use in the very near future...
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well, better than the x3, but I'd rather have a 4x4 Skoda Octavia, thx.
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Hard to believe Beemer could come out with an uglier 'car' than the X-3. But my word, have they ever succeeded. I've no doubt some gullible fools will buy them though.
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I'd like to comment on the comments, please. Everyone agrees that X-3 looks really bad; so there is no point in me adding to that. Some say they's rather take the girl in the bikini; well, I'd rather take the girl without the bikini. Or is that rude? Also, I feel bad for the guy with the surf board - the only thing that stands between him and a girl is that ugly X-3. He is one unlucky chap.
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Oh, did I say X-3? I meant X1. Who cares what I say; it's just ugly. But I'd like to see people actually buying it, so that I can walk up to strangers and ask them "Oh dear, what happened here?" and express that I am sorry about their handicap. Being visually impaired cannot be easy.
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Every BMW that came-out after new 7 series release greatly improved - Z4 and this new X1 included, also the look and quality of the cabin is better. I do think they should axe X3 ( which they say will go up in size ) 'cause they have X5 and X6 in that segment already.
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Well, at least it doesn't look as ugly as the X3. Yet to see what the front looks like but knowing BMW, the front is the least of my concerns. I hope its not going to be as hopeless as the X3 was off-road. The X1 might be a little too low to climb mountains, but a simple trip to the beach and going through a mostly flat field shouldn't be a problem. If this can't do even that without struggling like the X3, then BMW should give up selling these pointless "off-road" vehicles.
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Cheers Mikaedo
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Obviously, this picture has been photoshopped. If that's a real beach and a real BMW, it would look more like this: http://cupholder.blogs.topgear.com/2009/06/02/stuck-on-the-beach/
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This one does look a bit like New skin for the old ceremony, doesn't it? It looks like a facelifted X3, nothing more nothing less. Why a clip of the X3? Why not of the bikinigirl? But I beg to differ on the raison d'être of SUV's. Those poor sods who play football and whose wives shop at Saville Row nééd to look down on us, they're looking-down-on-por-people junkies. Since they can't get away with it in the figurative sense, they have to resort to the literal thing. Hence the SUV.
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I've got to be honest... BMW's designers are awful. And this car certainly looks awful.
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A fruitful design exercise, clearly trying to prove that car designers in Bavaria have lost their marbles. This is just a 'shrunk in the wash' and even duller version of the X3.
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Ok Id like 2 hav 1 of these.............
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Ok Id like 2 hav 1 of these.............
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i don't understand how you as a designer can draw a car like that and go: "i'm happy with this." it doesn't make any sense. Just look at it from the back, why do they have that shape on those rear lights. I hate the way the boot sort of cuts off the lights. it just makes it look funny.
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My god! Do I have permission to kill these idiotic cars there rubbish If I bought it I would kill myself with it not drive it but oh! well lets just ignore it
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Lewis hart`s website http://lewishart.terapad.com
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Goodbye and it's been great knowing you BMW, builder of beautiful and reliable cars. Hello BMW, builder of pointless tepid piles that don't really do anything really well. X1, X3, X6 and the 5 series GT tick all the boxes well. Relatively expensive? check. Low quality? check. Pointless? double check.
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you will have to accept it. this is the future of the suvs
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cute little car id definately go for this one if i had to shoose between the x3 or the 5th series bmw
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How many X3's or X5's ever go offroad? How many of you will disagree with what Top Gear say? An elevated driving position is better for your back The X1,X3,X5 are all designed to make the eyes create multiple dimension view (it is hard to focus on any one spot and therefore your brain cannot cope with the look) Made in Austria/China? and where do you think your Dell computer was made?
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nice car, nice looks, even nicer interior !! i dnt see y ppl find it ugly, if u r looking 4 an eyesore look at the new nissan murano, that will keep u blinded 4 days. btw, y ddnt they mension wat petrol engines it has, im not the biggest diesel fan u no.
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blind not blinded :P
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Instead of wasting time slating these cars, go and have a test drive. I assume most of the people slating BMW are Vauxhall Vectra drivers or Ford Focus etc.etc. You would be very suprised how good all of the X cars from BMW are. There 4x4 system is superior to the majority of manufacturers and is similar to the Quattro system on Audi. As with most SUV cars the tyres let them down in fields. In the snow & ice they are far superior to 2 wheel drive cars. Try an X3 in the snow, it will leave almost everything else standing. The X3 3.0i sport is fast and handles brilliantly. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and not drivers of mass produced crud!! Own one and you would change your mind.
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VieVentar commented on this article
02 July 2009
Ugly, pointless and if rumours are true - Made in China. I'll take the Bleach cocktail please, its far more appealing.
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