BMW has announced that it will show two SUV concepts at this October’s Paris Motor Show. Although both vehicles will technically be concepts, they are expected to be thinly veiled production models of the upcoming BMW X1 compact SUV and the new Mini SUV, the Crossman.
As previously reported, the X1 will be based on the same architecture as the 1-series and will be built at BMW’s Leipzig plant. Power for the X1 will be sourced from the top two 1-series’ gas engines, along with its top two diesel engine offerings, according to Automotive News. The X1 should hit dealer showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The Crossman will be built on a similar platform as the X1 — sharing many of the same components — but its production will be outsourced to Austria’s Magna Steyr. Motivations from the Crossman will come from the same engines found in the Cooper S and Cooper D. The Crossman is slated to hit the market in the second quarter of 2010.
Both models are expected to be sold in the U.S., but it remains unclear if their diesel engines will make the trek across the Atlantic. However, with CAFE regulations that much closer around the turn of the decade, it remains a distinct possibility that the U.S. could see an oil burning option.
