BMW X1 US Launch Delayed Until End of 2012

[nockenpaul]

BMW delays U.S. debut of the X1 until end of 2012:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2011...NEWS/110509994

By DIANA T. KURYLKO, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS on 5/02/2011

BMW will not offer its compact X1 crossover in the United States until the end of 2012 because of strong demand for the redesigned version of the larger X3.

Also, the X1 is selling well outside the United States so supplies are tight, said Jim O'Donnell, CEO of BMW of North America. The X1 was launched in Europe in November 2009.

BMW initially planned to bring the X1 to the United States early this year, but delayed it until year end. Now, European and U.S. BMW management have postponed the launch further.

O'Donnell said the X1 "was always going to be a niche vehicle" in the United States with forecast sales of less than 5,000 units annually.

The redesigned X3 crossover went on sale in January and 5,710 were sold in the first quarter, up from 1,355 a year earlier. BMW sold only 6,075 X3s last year.

O'Donnell says U.S. sales of the X3 could reach 25,000 this year. The X3 peaked at 34,604 units in 2004.

"It is very hot--and hot all over the world," O'Donnell said. "My only risk is they may divert units to China and Germany."

The X3 is striking a chord with buyers, he says, because it is bigger than the previous generation--nearly as large as the original X5.

The new X3 is produced in Spartanburg, S.C. The previous version was built in Austria.

[STE92VE]

Originally Posted by nockenpaul

BMW delays U.S. debut of the X1 until end of 2012:

I can wait, especially for the LCI....

[mkoesel]

^^^ Wow. Sounds like they just decided to wait til the LCI.

I think 5k units for the US is not even close to a realistic reflection of US demand. I would say potential for the X1 is easily 20k units per year here if priced at under 40k for a decently equiped 28i. However, they do not want this vehicle eating into X3 28i sales and profit, so they are holding it back as long as they can keep people from jumping to the competition. And since the Q3 is not here right now, and Mercedes GLK, Inifinit EX, and Acura RDX are not exactly burning the sales charts up, they probably have calculated that they don't have to worry about that right now.

[georgerk]

sigh.

[David1]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

^^^ Wow. Sounds like they just decided to wait til the LCI.

I think 5k units for the US is not even close to a realistic reflection of US demand. I would say potential for the X1 is easily 20k units per year here if priced at under 40k for a decently equiped 28i. However, they do not want this vehicle eating into X3 28i sales and profit, so they are holding it back as long as they can keep people from jumping to the competition. And since the Q3 is not here right now, and Mercedes GLK, Inifinit EX, and Acura RDX are not exactly burning the sales charts up, they probably have calculated that they don't have to worry about that right now.

We won't see the LCI either.

[M3_WC]

They know the X1 will eat heavily into X3 sales, they are just delaying.

[DDS2015]

Originally Posted by M3_WC

They know the X1 will eat heavily into X3 sales, they are just delaying.

They're stalling on this one. I honestly think that it's going to end up by being delayed indefinitely. That's IMHO, so don't shoot my head off. Keep in mind that we also have a 323i in CA that you guys don't get in the US. We also have the Merc A class (or B class I forget which) that you guys don't get.

Plus, why would they bring the X1 to US when the X3 is sold at a much higher profit margin and isn't subject to fluctuating dollar. From a business case it doesn't make the most sense.

[Wolf]

the X3 sucked last year... it failed... with the new design, they are relaunching in to the US market. If the X1 goes on sale in the US, the less X3 are sold, the less X3s are seen on the streets ppl will think the new model X3 also failed, ppl start doubting the X3 and its success. I think BMW delayed the X1 so the X3 gains its momentum in the US market again..

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by M3_WC

They know the X1 will eat heavily into X3 sales, they are just delaying.

I totally agree. I wonder how much later after the gas version, will they introduce the diesel version? I got my wife an X5d, and both of us love it. I'm interested in the X1d, but won't wait forever, BMW....

[Taipei-TT]

Honestly with the low car prices I'm the US, the price difference between a x1 and x3 could not be that great.

And who would want an x1? I see a few in Taipei and it's just not a pretty sight!

[Imola.ZHP]

That sucks!

No worries here though, I ended up buying a house, so between that and premium creeping up over $4/gal, my SUV purchase has been put on hold...

I'll keep enjoying no car payments for now...

[youyou]

Well it's out in Canada and they're selling like hot cakes!!

[mario486]

Originally Posted by Taipei-TT

Honestly with the low car prices I'm the US, the price difference between a x1 and x3 could not be that great.

And who would want an x1? I see a few in Taipei and it's just not a pretty sight!

You are of course entitled to your own opinion but I think that most find it attractive in some way.

However posting a comment like that on a forum thats dedicated to the X1 and largely consists of people that like the car they have bought, is rude.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by mario486

You are of course entitled to your own opinion but I think that most find it attractive in some way.

However posting a comment like that on a forum thats dedicated to the X1 and largely consists of people that like the car they have bought, is rude.

I agree. While you might not think the X1 is pretty in the streets of Taipei, it looks amazing in the streets of London and Barcelona and probably other European streets. TBH, BMW models might look awkward in North America, but they blend perfectly in European cities (ex. majority of people hated the pre-LCI E90 but it looked good in Barcelona).

[speed12sil]

Originally Posted by Taipei-TT

Honestly with the low car prices I'm the US, the price difference between a x1 and x3 could not be that great.

And who would want an x1? I see a few in Taipei and it's just not a pretty sight!

While I try to make a conscientious effort to side with a Taiwanese whenever possible, I can't really do that here, considering your comment looks a lot like flamebait. That and when the price difference is more like 4k between the X1(~40k) and X3, that's not unsubstantial.

FWIW, since the new X3 is now almost the size of the old X5, the X1 would fit as a replacement of the original X3. Not everyone wants their SUV that large...

[DUH CAR]

I priced out an X1 and an X3 with similar loaded options and the difference was $8K in Canada. I used a 3.5l engine in the X3 because the 2.5 there had lower HP and torque than the engine in the X1. I felt that was a better comparison that would provide similar performance. The X1 was $48K and the X3 was $56K.
The $8K is before HST tax at another 13%.

[slcmjames]

the x1 is not bad when look at longer. Am waiting for the 2.0t with 8 speed shift version come into china and hopeing it will cost less than us$80k with options. Love the 18' 323sunroof ...except bmw hifi, always doesnt match others, even my small volvo s40

[69-2002on]

Sorry to see this BMW - I kept thinking that I could keep the old cars going a bit longer but now I'll be buying from another company - no way can I wait a year and a half. The Range Rover Evoque or the diesel GLK are looking pretty attractive though I've been a loyal BMW customer for 40 years, the X1 or the 320dx are the only vehicles in BMW's line up that fit our needs.

Shoot, if I could just get what I wanted, it would be the 2012 Z4.

And the X1 would be VERY Pretty on the streets of California.

[Denny Swift]

Since I can't buy an X1, I've been desperately trying to find a substitute. Today I spotted this and it stopped me in my tracks! Hey, it’s got room to haul stuff. It looks sick. And with those low profiles it must handle great!

(I cropped the photo so you couldn’t see my puke in the adjacent parking space.)

[Lucky13]

I've seen worse. I pulled up beside a rust colored Pontiac Aztec two days ago and my wife said what the hell is that. I said that's what caused GM to go bankrupt. I swear whoever designed the Nissan Juke must have worked at GM before because the front is a direct ugly knock off.

[Denny Swift]

Yeah, there's a screaming yellow Aztec in my office lot. Agree about the Juke, but at least it's small enough to hide a bit.

[111R]

I saw an X1 and sat in it at BMW Welt when I picked up my car. It looks better in person than it does in photos and was a really nice size. I talked to a BMW rep who was standing nearby answering questions about the cars displayed there. In a roundabout way, he confirmed that they were selling all of the X1's they could make in Europe for much more than they could get for them over here. Also, they didn't want to take any attention away from the new X3 that just debuted here this year.