BMW X1 makeover is Neue Klasse comprehensive

Neue Klasse revisions will soon be applied to BMW’s X1 and iX1, with a flash new look both sides of the glasshouse. And that’s despite the line-up already selling well against models like GLA, XC40 and Q3.

The iX1 first dotted down in 2022 but its mid-cycle update will be more like a new generation. Certainly it’s not just a bumper and headlight change. Even with the camouflage, it’s clearly not just a fresh face. The entire body is renewed, along with the glasshouse. There are new flush-fitting door handles and gutterless door skins, along with fresh side windows and a high-set bonnet. 

What’s happening out the back is less clear but lights like those on iX3 are likely, along with aeros aids.

Up front, lights are similar to iX3’s and illuminated kidney grilles integrate into a bluff front end. 

The iX1 is another to adopt the panoramic i-Drive system inside. That comprises a full-width head-up display projected onto a blacked-out section at the base of the windscreen. A four-spoke steering wheel and trapezoidal touchscreen are both unusual, and a marked change from the existing iX1 set-up. 

External dimensions look to be largely the same as the outgoing model’s, with the car in the shots running a 20-inch wheel and tyre package. A combination of single- and dual-motor powertrain layouts is likely. It’s thought there will be a petrol-powered version that looks the same. Alternatively, the petrol model may soldier on in the old chassis with the new body shell, like with the i3 and 3 Series.

All this is part of BMW’s biggest round of investment in its history. The firm seems determined to update as many of its existing models as quickly as possible.