BMW X1 gets a plug-in hybrid powertrain

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The BMW X1 xDrive25e M Sport is priced at P3.998 million.

The X1 comes with a portable charger.

The X1 PHEV’s total system output is 245hp and 477Nm.

SMC ASIA CAR Distributors Corp., the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, recently introduced the new BMW X1 xDrive25e M Sport, priced at P3.998 million, through a selling display at the Rockwell Power Plant Mall. Significantly, this is the first time for the compact crossover to come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain — joining the brand’s lineup of electrified models here — and will be the sole motivator for the X1 nameplate moving forward.

In a release, BMW in the Philippines said the arrival of the X1 PHEV is another expression of its “Power of Choice” strategy which provides customers with “the flexibility of both a combustion engine and an electric motor.”

The system submits a total output of 245hp and 477Nm of torque translating to, among others, a standstill-to-100kph time of 6.8 seconds. Electric range is 101 kilometers, enabled by BMW’s fourth-generation battery technology in the X1. The company said this makes it “ideal for daily urban commutes.” Combined with the internal combustion engine (a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder gasoline sipper) range, the X1 can muster up to 764 kilometers.

For now, the X1 PHEV will come in a single M Sport variant, with another one (the X1 xDrive25e xLine) to arrive in “mid-March,” according to a source. That xLine variant is expected to be priced at P3.498 million.

The M Sport gets design accents including an M Aerodynamics package, high-gloss Shadowline trim, and M light-alloy wheels. Aboard is the newest BMW Widescreen Display with iDrive Operating System 9 for “seamless connectivity and intuitive control.” Sport seats are wrapped in M Alcantara/Veganza, and content will find expression through a high-fidelity Harman Kardon loudspeaker system.

The model also comes with BMW ConnectedDrive. Said to be a first in the country, an “integrated data SIM card enables BMW Live Maps with real-time traffic information and route calculation.”

The new BMW X1 xDrive25e M Sport is available in “a limited introductory quantity” with six color choices: Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Space Silver Metallic, M Portimão Blue Metallic, Cape York Green Metallic, and Fire Red Metallic.

For more information, visit www.bmw.com.ph or any authorized BMW dealership nationwide. — Kap Maceda Aguila