BMW X1 Facelift Caught Cruising City Streets In Germany

As is traditional with BMW mid-cycle updates, don’t expect any significant design changes.

The second-generation BMW X1 only went on sale in 2015 so it still feels fresh, but BMW is wasting no time giving its Volvo XC40 rival a mid-cycle update to maintain its sales momentum in such a fiercely competitive segment. Our spies recently caught a prototype of BMW’s refreshed compact crossover roaming the streets of Munich near the company’s headquarters in Germany. With testing underway, it seems likely the BMW X1 facelift will launch sometime in 2019. From the photos, it’s clear, however, that it won’t be receiving a radical overhaul.

The copious amounts of camouflage may trick you into thinking the 2019 BMW X1 will have some significant design changes, but BMW’s mid-cycle updates are traditionally very subtle. The placement of the camouflage suggests we can expect the updated X1 to feature a redesigned front bumper, new headlights and grille, as well as new taillight graphics. Our spies noted that parts of the interior were also covered up, which means BMW could be updating the X1’s infotainment and sat-nav system. There’s a chance the X1 could also feature BMW’s new fancy digital instrument cluster previewed a few months ago by the time it rolls out in 2019.

As for powertrains, the only variant of the X1 currently sold in the US is the 28i model, which utilizes a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that sends 228 horsepower through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and we expect this setup will be carried over for the mid-cycle update. It’s also available with front-wheel drive as standard but all-wheel drive is optional.

Why Has South Korea Banned 20,000 BMWs From Its Streets?

This has really become a "hot" button issue.

When it comes to new car features, not catching on fire is something that should come standard on all models. Unfortunately, BMW Group has had some issues recently with BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce models all being recalled over potential engine fires caused by a malfunctioning water pump. The company had a similar issue back in 2016, then again in 2017 when over one million cars were recalled. According to Automotive News Europe, BMW has been having more issues with 27 engines catching fire, this time in South Korea.

The cause of the fire was investigated and 13 owners filed a class action lawsuit against BMW. The issue prompted a probe from the South Korean government and Automotive News Europe now reports that the country will ban approximately 20,000 BMW cars from its streets. BMW has issued an apology and a recall of 106,000 diesel-powered cars including the 520d starting on August 20th. The South Korean government is taking the issue very seriously and has asked owners not to drive their cars.

"I am asking owners of the BMW cars subject to the recall to actively cooperate to prevent bigger accidents, despite your inconvenience," Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said in a press conference. The cars can still be driven to perform safety checks, as the ban is meant to help speed up the checks rather than act as a punishment to owners. The issue has already been pinpointed as a defect in the exhaust gas recirculation system, so it is only a matter of time before BMW issues recall notices to affected owners and fixes the problem.