Here we go again. After the Z4 M40i, the new X1 M35i is another BMW model with less power in Europe than in the United States. The first-ever M Performance version of Bavaria’s smallest crossover uses a turbocharged gasoline engine making a healthy 312 hp in the US, but on the Old Continent, the 2.0-liter mill is good for only 296 hp. Seeing the glass half full, torque remains unchanged, at 400 Nm (295 lb-ft).
BMW doesn’t say why there’s a significant 16-hp difference between the two models, but an educated guess tells us it has to do with stricter emissions regulations in Europe. The US is not the only region to get the full 312-hp punch as the X1 M35i in Australia and “other selected markets” will get the uncorked version of the four-pot engine.
Over in Europe, BMW cites a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 5.4 seconds whereas the US-spec model hits 60 mph (that’s technically 96.5 km/h) in 5.2 seconds. Both max out at an electronically limited 155 mph (250 km/h). Much like in North America, the Euro-spec X1 M35i gets a standard adaptive M suspension and optional M Compound brakes.
BMW intends to launch the compact performance crossover initially in the US in October, with Europe to follow a month later. The flagship model will be built in Regensburg (Germany) together with all flavors of the X1, including the fully electric iX1. The second-generation X2 will also be built at the same plant and we’re expecting an identical power gap between the US and Euro models.
The luxury brand has ruled out doing full-fat M versions of its front-wheel-drive-based cars, so there won’t be a hotter version above the M35i. For the same reason, BMW M will not go higher than the M135i and M235i models as the M2 will remain the entry-level true M car.
Source: BMW
