BMW’s recent move toward mass appeal has struck again. The German automaker has announced at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show a long wheelbase version of its all-new X1 crossover. The X1 LWB, as it’s called, grows by 3.1 inches to accommodate more rear-seat legroom – something blazingly popular in the Chinese culture. And yes, the X1 LWB is built exclusively for the Chinese and within a Chinese factory.
This compiles atop BMW’s move to redefine the X1. For the 2016 model year, the X1 was completely redesigned with a new architecture, drivetrain layout, and aesthetic design details. The crossover moves from its original rear-wheel drive, longitudinally oriented drivetrain and platform borrowed from the 1 Series sedan to the FWD platform borrowed from the 2 Series Active Tourer.
While we could harp on BMW’s decision to adopt FWD architectures all day, the automaker seems to be confident average consumers won’t (and don’t) know the difference. That will probably hold the truest in this lengthened crossover built for comfort rather than spirited driving. Wealthy Chinese drivers, after all, are smitten with the living room-like qualities of long vehicles. That’s clearly evident by the number of long wheelbase vehicles debuting at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show.
The X1 LWB will be built by BMW’s China partner, BMW Brilliance’s Tiexi plant in Shenyang. That plant is already familiar with the X1, as it built roughly 140,000 examples for the first-generation X1. For those outside China actually curious about the X1 LWB, don’t get too excited. The stretched crossover is only available within the People’s Republic. If you still want all the details on BMW’s newest crossover, keep reading.
Continue reading to learn more about the BMW X1 LWB.
from Top Speed http://ift.tt/1T4APo7
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment