• BMW is facelifting the current X1 rather than launching a new generation.
  • The front end gains vertical kidney grilles and redesigned LED headlights.
  • SUV stays on the FAAR platform with its familiar combustion engines.

BMW has rolled out several models under its Neue Klasse banner already, with plenty more still to come. One of those is the facelifted X1, caught testing on public roads a few months back and now given a clearer preview through a pair of detailed renderings that show where the SUV is headed.

Read: BMW’s Hottest X1 Is Getting The iX3’s Face And Maybe A New Name

The Bavarian carmaker isn’t building an all-new generation of the X1 here, just a mid-cycle refresh of the current one, so the updates fall well short of the wholesale changes seen on other recent BMWs. These renders that were created by Nikita Chuyko for Kolesa still show a thoroughly reworked front end, one that, to our eyes at least, reads a touch cleaner than what’s on sale now. Nobody’s going to mistake it for a styling triumph, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
Illustrations Kolesa

As with the iX3 and the new i3 sedan, the SUV features new vertical kidney grilles. Sprouting from the sides of these grilles are gloss-black elements that flow neatly into the redesigned LED headlights, sporting DRLs similar to those on other BMW models. The lower portion of the front end will also be very different, rocking new air intakes with black surrounds and perhaps black air curtains, too.

The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)

The current generation BMW X1 M35i.

Given that this will only be a facelift, few changes are expected to the profile, with the door skins and handles remaining unchanged. It’s hard to know for sure how many changes will be made to the rear of the new X1, although spy shots from earlier this year suggested it would have taillights similar to the current model.

Familiar Underpinnings

The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)

SHProshots

The lighting signature inside those taillights will get a rework, and we’re expecting a new bumper to come along with it, likely loaded with the kind of contrasting black trim these renderings put on display. The detailing back there does most of the talking, since the basic hardware stays put.

The important point is that the X1 borrows the Neue Klasse look without riding on the Neue Klasse platform underneath. It stays on the current FAAR architecture instead, which keeps the familiar spread of 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engines in the mix. Hybrids will round out the range in certain markets, much as they do today.

The New X1 Wears BMW’s Future Face, But Keeps Its Old Bones (Renders)
Illustrations Kolesa