BMW will bring the X1 facelift to India by mid-2020 and along with it, there will be a new entry-level 1.5 liter turbo-petrol engine with 135 bhp.
The second generation of the BMW X1 has been on sale in India for some time now. Earlier this year, BMW facelifted the X1 globally and it is already on sale in several international markets. Now BMW will be bringing this X1 facelift to India by mid-2020 and now we have come to know that BMW might introduce a new entry-level 1.5-litre petrol engine to the line-up with it.
This new 1.5 liter unit is a three-cylinder, direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine and in the international markets, this engine puts out 140hp and 220Nm of torque in the sDrive 18i variant. However for India, this engine is expected to produce about 135hp. The reason for us to get a slightly detuned version of the engine is to suit our lower grade of fuel.
There are also talks of this engine to be likely used in the India-bound 2 Series Gran Coupe. In fact, this new 1.5 liter turbo-petrol engine could make its way into a number of BMW models like the new X1, the 2-series Gran Coupe and potentially even the new 3 Series. If BMW finds sufficient demand for this engine in ASEAN and Middle East countries, BMW India will even consider locally assembly of the turbo-petrol unit.
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As for the facelift itself, the new X1 comes with significant cosmetic changes. The bumpers have been completely redesigned and the headlamps are slimmer and sharper than before. The kidney grille has inevitably become larger but it all comes together to make for a handsome looking car. At the rear, there are new LED tail lamps as well. On the inside, the dashboard design is similar to newer BMW models and it gets a larger infotainment screen with overall better fit and finish owing to better quality of materials used.
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Currently, the BMW X1 is available with a 190hp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel and a 192hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit in India. The petrol delivers power to the front wheels only via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic while the diesel can be had with either all-wheel drive or just front-wheel drive, both of which use an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The BMW X1 rivals the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLA, the Audi Q3 and the Volvo XC40 in India.
