BMW has kicked off a top secret plan for a baby SUV – the X1 – to take on Toyota's Rav4. The junior 'X' model will mix a 1-series footprint with the X3's four-wheel drive. The four-seat X1 will run four- and six-cylinder engines, and arrive in showrooms in 2010.

What it does and how it looks
BMW predicts that the mid-size SUV market will double by 2016. And the cheapest X car will be pitched at the largest sector of the market, targeting young families, active singles and empty nesters. Those punters want vehicles with a higher seating position, decent safety, extra space and a premium interior, but they are not obsessed with status-through-size and high-performance engines. Like its competitors, the X1 won't be a hardcore mud-wrestler but a tall, pumped up estate, which majors on visibility and versatility.

Under the skin
The X1 is part 1-series, part new X3. The large wheels and beefed up suspension come from the X3, but the body structure, drivetrains and electronics are familiar from the 1-series. There's a big benefit from the mostly car-based DNA: the X1's target weight is 1535kg, more than 200kg lighter than an X3 2.0i.

Power comes from four and sixpot petrol and diesels, feeding power to all four wheels. Expect six-speed manual 'boxes and an optional six-speed auto mated to the 180bhp and 231bhp diesels and the 3.0-litre six petrol.

The chassis will get its fair share of safety acronyms. Stability control, HDC hill descent control and DBC dynamic brake force distribution will all feature. Other gizmos will include CBC cornering brake control, TSC trailer stability control and DTC (dynamic traction control). Active steering and Dynamic Drive (adjustable anti-roll bars) are likely options, but air suspension won't figure.

The inside story
The smallest X model will measure around 4350mm, a little shorter than the Freelander peer group. At 1680mm, the roofline is some 250mm taller than a 1-series'.

BMW’s product planners currently have the X1 down as a four-seater. The rear seats will slide back and forth and fold flat, and this flexibility should enable the accommodation of an optional, fifth jump seat. The cabin should be light and airy, thanks to three different roof modules: full length tinted glass; twin sunroofs; or a targa roof with removable elements.

While crossover concept cars keep experimenting with two doors or rear suicide doors, expect to access the BMW via four front-hinged doors. This configuration offers optimum side impact protection and is less expensive to assemble than other, more exotic concepts.

How much and when ?
Expect the X1 to cost from around £23,000 in the UK. That estimate is based on an internal document which states that the base model will be priced at less than €30,000, which makes it around €3500 less expensive than an entry-level X3 and €7000 Euros cheaper than the four-wheel drive 325ix Touring sold in mainland Europe. Naturally it's costlier than a comparable 1-series – but the €5000 includes a €2500 extra charge for four-wheel drive.

BMW may well outsource production to the Magna-Steyr factory near Graz, where the X3 is currently built. To make room for the new arrival, the X3 Mk2 would have to move from Austria to Spartanburg or Regensburg. The product planners expect to shift around 100,000 X1s a year.

Words: Georg Kacher
Images: Huckfeldt

BMW has kicked off a top secret plan for a baby SUV – the X1 – to take on Toyota's Rav4.