BMW has included another plug-in hybrid to its X Series sport utility automobiles with the September 2 launch of the BMW X1 xDrive25Le iPerformance at the 2016 Chengdu Motor Show in China.
The BMW X1 xDrive25Le is being produced by BMW Brilliance in China for sale in the country’s market. It follows the BMW X5 plug-in hybrid, which is produced in the United States spy pictures were discovered earlier this year of a plug-in hybrid version of the X1 SUV model being checked in Europe, as per BMWBlog.
The X1’s fuel engine and electric motor power the front and rear wheels with BMW’s intelligent energy management system supervising on-demand power response and energy efficiency maximization, as per the BMW news release. The German car manufacturer states that the design was motivated by bringing over innovations from the BMW i8 to other series-produced BMW designs.
The BMW X1 xDrive25Le got a 1.5-liter gasoline engine at the front axle mated to a six-speed incorporated gearbox and rear axle electric motor. The gas engine can produce the equivalent of 100 kW of power output, and top torque level of 220 Nm. The electrical motor at the rear axle produces up to 70 kW of power and top torque of 165 Nm. BMW’s proprietary eBoost function incorporates the systems for a peak torque of 385 Nm and acceleration of zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 7.4 seconds.
BMW states that a high-voltage lithium battery with a net capability of 10.7 kWh offers an electric-only cruising range of 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) and a combined travelling range of 630 km (about 391 miles) when operating in tandem with the 35‑liter (about 9.24 gallon) fuel tank.
The new BMW X1 plug-in hybrid “combines driving enjoyment with cleanliness and environmental protection in addition to luxury and quality,” as per the BMW press release. It falls in line with the Chinese government’s brand-new energy vehicles policy to incentivize the production and sale of plug-in hybrid and all-electric designs in the nationwide market. The BMW X1 xDrive25Le is going to be the first plug-in hybrid in the compact luxury SUV sector, company noted.
It will likewise be poised to take on the Tesla Model X sport utility vehicle. Released this summertime in China, the Model X 75D has been priced at 841,000 yuan ($126,197). The same car costs $83,000 in the United States, as per Forbes.
The cost differential for the Model X is triggered partly by import taxes. BMW hasn’t released the base cost for the BMW X1 xDrive25Le in China, it’s most likely to be far more cost friendly than the Tesla Model X in that market.
