A prototype of the new generation BMW X1 codenamed F48 and expected to launch in late 2015, has made another appearance in front of our scoop photographers all-seeing digital eyes, this time, not on the back of a truck, but on the road.

From the looks of it, the X1 will continue to resemble a tall-riding hatchback with estate and SUV elements thrown into the mix, but it will likely sport a less awkward design than the current model. However, we will have to wait and see what BMW's designers have prepared for the front and rear ends, which on this car are not final.

The 2016MY X1 will be one of many, many models to use the BMW Group's new front-wheel based ULK platform architecture, with other cars including the next BMW 1-Series hatchbacks and Gran Turismo editions, and up to 10 new Mini variants.

We expect base models to be available with front-wheel drive, in which case, the X1 will benefit from increased space and better fuel economy numbers, with the bigger engines offering all-wheel drive (standard on same, optional on others).

Speaking about the X1's powerplants, we hear that it will be offered with BMW's next generation four-cylinder diesel and petrol units, and quite likely, the new entry-level 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine range, paired to either manual or automatic transmissions.

No, the development of the new BMW X1 hasn't hit a snag; our title is a literal reference to the camouflaged prototype that our spies filmed going in circles for testing purposes (or to flirt around with our photographers).

From this recording as well as previous static scoop shots, it seems like the next X1 will continue to raise the question whether it's an SUV or a station wagon on stilts, but for what it's worth, it does seem to sport a less awkward design.

Whereas the current model rides on the previous generation 3-Series Touring's platform with RWD and AWD, the next X1 will be built around the BMW Group's UKL1 architecture that can be found under the new Mini Hatch, and which will use transversely mounted engines feeding power to the front-wheels, with all-wheel drive to be optionally available.

Base versions of the X1 will come with the brand's freshly launched 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine range, while more upscale models will utilize the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four units.

The closer BMW edges to being a…Volkswagen brand of this world instead of an exclusively premium manufacturer, the more mainstream some of its products become, and you can see this from the designs to the expansion into popular segments and the adoption of front-wheel drive platforms for models like the X1.

Truth to be told, from a mainstream buyer's perspective, it makes a lot of sense for smaller SUVs and crossovers that won't necessarily be ordered with all-wheel drive to come with a front-wheel drive layout as this solution offers reduced costs, increased fuel economy, less weight and more driver-friendly handling.

As such, the second generation X1, expected to be revealed at next year's Frankfurt Motor Show, will abandon the current model's older (E91) 3-Series Touring's platform with RWD and AWD, switching to the BMW Group's UKL1 architecture shared with the new Mini models like the hatch, which utilizes transversely mounted engines powering the front- or optionally, all-four wheels.

For its motivation, the X1 will also share the same engine lineup with the new Mini range, comprising 1.5-liter three-cylinder and 2.0-liter four-cylinder mills, all turbocharged. Unlike the current model, the new X1 will not be available with six-cylinder engines.

The competition for the X1 when it hits the market in 2016 will include the Mercedes-Benz GLA and Audi Q3, both of which will be offered in the States this year.

Will have a three-cylinder engine

New details have emerged about the second generation BMW X1 scheduled to come out sometime next year.

A reliable BMW insider has shed some light regarding BMW's upcoming entry-level crossover which will be unveiled online in the summer of 2015 before making a public debut a few months later at the Frankfurt Motor Show and going on sale early 2016. Production will take place in Leipzig, Germany as well as in Shenyang, China and at a new factory in Brazil. Naturally, the Chinese-spec X1 will also receive a long wheelbase variant for added rear legroom.

In terms of engine lineup, expect to find a three-cylinder taken most likely from the 2-Series Active Tourer and the new MINI. There will also be a very powerful four-cylinder delivering more than 300 PS (220 kW). A variety of gasoline and diesel engines will be offered together with a plug-in hybrid version wearing the "eDrive" badge.

Compared to the current generation, the new X1 is expected to offer considerably more leg room especially for those sitting in the back, while the dashboard will be a combination between the X5 and 2-Series Active Tourer.

Lastly, a BMW X2 is expected to come out one year later and will allegedly be offered both as a three- and five-door.

Could be introduced next summer

Development work continues on the 2015 BMW X1 as our spies have caught the model undergoing testing on the Nürburgring for the first time.

Dressed in swirly camouflage, the redesigned crossover has an evolutionary shape but appears slightly larger than its predecessor. We can't make out a lot of details but the model has aerodynamic side skirts, plastic body cladding and a tailgate-mounted spoiler. This particular prototype has also been equipped with a panoramic sun roof and a dual exhaust system.

BMW has remained relatively quiet about the model but it is expected to ride on the UKL platform. This means front-wheel drive will likely be standard, while all-wheel drive should be optional.

Engine options should carryover from the 2-Series Active Tourer, so choices could include:

A 1.5-liter three-cylinder with 136 PS (100 kW) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque
A 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder with outputs of 184 PS (135 kW) and 231 PS (170 kW)
A 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder diesel with outputs of 150 PS (110 kW) and 184 PS (135 kW)

There also have been rumors about a plug-in hybrid variant and a range-topping model with a four-cylinder engine that develops more than 300 PS (220 kW).

Looking very planted and capable around the Nurburigring, the recently scooped 2016 BMW X1 F48 has the feel of a totally different kind of vehicle when going fast – you don’t even have to be aboard the car to see it, and a video such as the Ring testing one uploaded by TouriClips is eloquent enough.

There’s a certain demeanor that a car projects at speed, and it is usually very similar among BMWs, all of which are pushed along by their rear-wheel drive setups and show it. However, this new X1, with its front-wheel drive biased chassis related to the one in the 2-Series Active Tourer and all the larger MINI models projects a very different picture.

It’s a big departure from the current 3-Series-based X1, but it’s a natural one since BMW will be looking to make its base SUV more approachable, and the easiest way to achieve that is to reduce costs in order to be able to charge less for it. And besides, only a very small percentage of buyers will actually care that it’s a fwd car underneath; there will be optional all-wheel drive for those who think they need it, even though it will really be an useless drain on fuel since the X1 will be flustered by even the smallest of ditches.

All this means is that if you want a real BMW experience in high-riding form, your search will begin with the still RWD-based X3.

Here's another scoop video of BMW's testers pushing a prototype of the next generation X1 crossover on Germany's favorite track, the Nürburgring.

The X1 will be the second BMW-branded model after the 2-Series Active Tourer to utilize the German group's front-wheel, high-strength steel entry-level platform with a transverse engine layout that was first unveiled on Mini's 3rd-gen hatchback.

Since they share the same underpinnings, the X1 will also borrow the 2-Series AT's powertrain lineup comprising three- and four-cylinder turbocharged engines, with the top spec model using a 231PS (228hp) 2.0-liter gasoline four. There will be both front- and all-wheel drive versions.

From what we've seen so far, the new X1's design will be more streamlined than the current generation that rides on the older 3-Series Touring's gear.

Sources have suggested that the F48-codenamed X1 will debut in late 2015, with sales to start shortly after.

The X1 will be the second BMW-branded model after the 2-Series Active Tourer to utilize the German group's front-wheel, high-strength steel entry-level platform with a transverse engine layout that was first unveiled on Mini's 3rd-gen hatchback

Could be introduced next summer

Development work continues on the 2015 BMW X1 as our spies have caught the model undergoing testing on the Nürburgring for the first time.

Dressed in swirly camouflage, the redesigned crossover has an evolutionary shape but appears slightly larger than its predecessor. We can't make out a lot of details but the model has aerodynamic side skirts, plastic body cladding and a tailgate-mounted spoiler. This particular prototype has also been equipped with a panoramic sun roof and a dual exhaust system.

BMW has remained relatively quiet about the model but it is expected to ride on the UKL platform. This means front-wheel drive will likely be standard, while all-wheel drive should be optional.

Engine options should carryover from the 2-Series Active Tourer, so choices could include:

• A 1.5-liter three-cylinder with 136 PS (100 kW) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque
• A 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder with outputs of 184 PS (135 kW) and 231 PS (170 kW)
• A 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder diesel with outputs of 150 PS (110 kW) and 184 PS (135 kW)
• There also have been rumors about a plug-in hybrid variant and a range-topping model with a four-cylinder engine that develops more than 300 PS (220 kW).

Will be based on the front-wheel drive UKL platform

BMW has been testing the 2015 X1 for months and it doesn't look like they going to stop anytime soon as our spies have caught another prototype undergoing testing in Europe.

Set to go on sale sometime next year, the entry-level crossover has an evolutionary design but appears slightly larger than its predecessor. The camouflage hides a lot of details but we can see the model will have a sporty stance thanks to prominent character lines, an upward sweeping beltline and a sloping roof. There's also plastic body cladding and a tailgate-mounted spoiler.

Bigger changes under underneath as the model will ride on the UKL platform that underpins the MINI Cooper and BMW 2-Series Active Tourer. As a result, front-wheel drive will drive will be standard while all-wheel drive will be optional.

Engines will likely echo the 2-Series Active Tourer so expect choices to include:

• A 1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol with 136 PS (100 kW) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque
• A 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with 184 PS (135 kW) and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque
• A 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with 231 PS (170 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque
• A 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel with 150 PS (110 kW) and 330 Nm (243 lb-ft) of torque
• A 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel with 184 PS (135 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque

Compact crossovers are growing in popularity, so why shouldn’t high-performance variants be part of the craze?

BMW isn’t dismissing the idea of an X1 M model for the crossover’s next generation, targetting the likes of the Audi RS Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG. The all-new X1 is expected to launch next year and will be based on the company’s front-wheel drive architecture that underpins the 2 Series Active Tourer.

In a recent interview, BMW M’s sales boss, Jörg Bartels, said that “all BMWs are eligible for an M model,” and that the German automaker is keeping a close eye to see how successful Audi and Mercedes are within the segment. Both the X5 and X6 have M variants that have been considered successful in the marketplace.

Currently, the BMW X1 xDrive28i is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque while the X1 xDrive35i features the 3.0-liter inline-six with 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. The Audi RS Q3, which is available in Europe, is powered by a five-cylinder engine with 310 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG features the most powerful production four-cylinder engine with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque.

If an X1 M is to become a reality, expect its performance to best even the GLA 45 AMG to go along with more aggressive styling, better handling and braking performance.