BMW X1 LWB Bookings Open Ahead Of Launch On August 21

German luxury carmaker BMW has opened pre-launch bookings for the new X1 LWB, its long-wheelbase entry-level compact SUV for the Indian market. The BMW X1 LWB can be booked at dealerships or via the BMW India website, ahead of its launch on 21 August.

The X1 LWB will be locally produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai and serves as the combustion-engined counterpart to the iX1 LWB electric SUV already sold in India, making it BMW's most accessible long-wheelbase model with a petrol or diesel engine.

Developed initially for the Chinese market, the BMW X1 LWB measures 4,616mm in length, 1,845mm in width and 1,641mm in height, riding on a 2,802mm wheelbase. That's 116mm longer, 110mm longer in wheelbase and 11mm taller than the standard X1.

The styling of the BMW X1 LWB has been carried over largely unchanged from the regular X1, with LED headlights and tail-lights, large kidney grilles and a low-slung crossover profile. The China-spec car gets 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, with 20-inch units offered as an option. BMW could switch to smaller 18-inch wheels for the India-spec model to preserve ride quality, matching the standard X1 and iX1 LWB sold here.

The cabin layout of the BMW X1 LWBmirrors the standard X1, but rear passengers gain more room. Legroom has increased, seat height is raised by 27mm and headrest cushions are widened by 37mm. Boot space grows to 540 litres, up from 476 litres in the regular SUV.

Expected equipment on the BMW X1 LWB include a 10.7-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital driver's display, wireless charging, powered front seats, automatic climate control and a powered tailgate. A digital key, Harman Kardon sound system, connected car technology and auto park assist are also likely.

BMW X1 LWB Engine And Performance

The India-spec X1 currently on sale is offered with a 136hp 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine in the sDrive18i and a 150hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel in the sDrive18d. The China-spec X1 LWB instead uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol producing 204hp and 300Nm, offered in sDrive25Li and xDrive25Li guises and paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The front-wheel-drive sDrive25Li completes the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.9 seconds, while the all-wheel-drive xDrive25Li does it in 7.7 seconds. Both variants are capped at a top speed of 229km/h.

The standard X1 is currently priced between Rs 50.9 lakh and Rs 52.9 lakh in India, and the X1 LWB is expected to command a slight premium over this range. That gap could widen further if BMW brings the more powerful 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine to the country. Full prices will be announced at the SUV's launch on 21 August.