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2013 BMW X1

A Tasty Bit Of Old School For The New School
Against the backdrop of fervent hand-wringing from brand purists, BMW is on the cusp of finally offering front-wheel-drive vehicles. While that's a shock to the constitution, many are pointing to the company's fine-handling Mini offerings as an article of faith that it can get this drivetrain paradigm shift right. That may be true, but there's an even more important lesson that Mini has taught the decision-makers in Munich: how to make real money on small cars.
Before Mini came along, BMW - along with seemingly every other premium European automaker - never really figured out how to coax big dollars out of American wallets without developing cars that had large footprints, at least those other than sports cars. While the automaker really got rolling in America on the strength of little bantamweights like the 2002, it veered away from small cars sometime in the '80s. BMW subsequently crashed and burned with the cut-and-shut 318ti built off its E36 3 Series and, good as it is, the 1 Series hasn't given the company meaty volume or profits, either. Among other brands, the Audi A3 has never rung up big numbers, and the less said about the painful sales figures of the Volvo C30, the better. But Mini has beat the odds, blazing a more affordable and evidently compelling trail. As of late, the company's Countryman softroader has been a massive hit worldwide. No surprise then that BMW has reconsidered bringing over its smallest softroader, the X1, to the US.

BMW sees shortage of crossovers in the United States

BMW of North America CEO Ludwig Willisch is anxious to get the Bavarian brand's $1-billion upgrade at the Spartanburg, SC, factory done because the automaker can't keep up with demand for its crossovers. The expansion should boost total capacity there to 450,000 units a year and support production of the upcoming X7. Still, Willisch would love to have more crossovers as soon as possible. "That is a constant battle now, to get more X3s and X5s," he said in an interview about the company's future in North America to Automotive News. If they the supply were available, Willisch predicts he could sell at least another 10,000 of the CUVs. Willisch sees getting the X7 on the market as a big win for the brand, too. "We were able to convince the company that this is exactly what we need in the United States," he said to Automotive News. However, there is a bit of a wait. The model rides on BMW's next-gen platform, and is at least two years away from challenging the Land Rover Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz's renamed GLS-Class (previously the GL-Class). The fullsize CUV reportedly shares development with Rolls-Royce and might offer the best interior of any model bearing the blue and white roundel. The boss also talked about other future product plans for this continent. For example, Willisch reiterated BMW will not bring the 2 Series hatchbacks here, citing a lack of a market for them. There will be plenty more plug-in hybrids available at dealers, though. Due to "legal requirements" and popularity, Willlisch says PHEV versions will be offered throughout the lineup by 2017. Although, the i sub-brand will stick with the i3 and i8 through that time.

BMW is 'watching the pickup space closely'

Automotive April Fools' Day jokes rarely become real product, but then again, they're generally flights of fancy. The E92 M3-based BMW pickup truck from 2011 is a notable exception – M built it for hauling parts. Now, BMW might seriously be looking into a vehicle with a bed. Speaking to Australia's Motoring, Australian Marketing Manager Marc Werner dropped a few hints that the German brand is at least studying the feasibility of a truck or ute. "Never say never," Werner told Motoring. "We're watching the space closely." According to Motoring, Werner's statements are a big deal because they're in stark contrast to what BMW Asia, Pacific, and South Africa boss Hendrik von Kuenheim said a year ago – that BMW is "definitely not" building a truck. The Aussies seem to think this means, along with arch-nemesis Mercedes-Benz's new midsize pickup, BMW's position on its first-ever truck might be softening. Since the Australians (probably) started bouncing with glee over the idea of a roundel-adorned pickup, Werner was quick to temper expectations. He told Motoring that a pickup is far easier for Munich's rivals. "It's easier for Mercedes because they have commercial vehicles and trucks and vans. We do not. And perhaps it's easier for Audi. Just take the Amarok, why not?" Werner said. "Yes it's harder for us but we'll be watching how Benz goes." While we wouldn't count on Munich building a truck/ute in the near future, Motoring does make a good point – in 2016, a BMW pickup sounds as crazy as a front-drive Bimmer did in 2006. In other news, the new China-only 1 Series debuted yesterday. It's BMW's second front-driver after the 2 Series Active Tourer.