BMW is planning to dispense with the rear-wheel drive platform for its second-generation X1 compact crossover in a bid to improve practicality, increase interior space and realise greater cost-savings by sharing underpinnings with the Mini Countryman.
The report via Autocar cites a reliable source stating that the next X1, due in 2015, will utilize a front-wheel drive platform that it will share with future Mini models (including driveline options with the second-generation Countryman) as well as an upcoming 1 Series GT model in a bid to reduce production costs. It has also been reported that the next X1 will feature a transverse engine layout that will aid in freeing up additional interior space.
Initially dubbed UKL (“Unter Klasse” – entry level in German), this new front-wheel drive platform can be combined with a Haldex-style multi-plate clutch, much like the countryman’s ALL4 variants. The front-wheel iteration will be aimed at four-cylinder models – BMW has confirmed that it will not engineer any of its six-cylinder powerplants for transverse mounting.
This platform is likely to be showcased in the 1 Series GT at this year’s Paris Motor Show, along with a new 1,5-litre three-cylinder engine that will form the entry-point to the BMW range.
