BMW reveals all-new baby SUV

BMW couldn't keep quiet any longer about its new compact SUV, revealing images and the first details of its Concept X1 a day before the doors open to the media for the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

Although it's difficult to gauge the size of the concept from preliminary images, BMW's dimensions make it over 100mm shorter, 64mm narrower and nearly 140mm lower than the company's current 'small' SUV, the X3.

The X1's wheelbase is only 35mm shorter than the X3's though, which leads to the distinctive wheel-at-each-corner stance of the show car, where overhangs are minimal.

An upshot of the long wheelbase should be good rear seat legroom, despite the X1's positioning in the BMW line-up.

There's very little about the exterior of the Concept X1 that will be changed in the transformation to a showroom model and BMW has already admitted that a car in the vein of the X1 will be in production within 12 months.

At the front, BMW's designers have melded the face of the new 7 Series - including the deeper kidney grille - with the three round lights characteristic of BMW's X models. A darkened lower section disguises the height of the car and lends it a tougher appearance.

A deep side character line is reminiscent of the recently facelifted BMW 3 Series, as are the L-shaped rear lights, despite this model's affinity with the 1 Series range. Further emphasising how close to production the concept is, the exhaust is a modest affair.

Expect the final production version of the X1 to be unveiled in March at the Geneva Show.

Shane O' Donoghue