BMW has opened pre-launch bookings for the new BMW X1 Long Wheelbase in India ahead of its scheduled full debut on August 21, 2026. The stretched SUV will be produced locally at BMW Group Plant Chennai as the automaker expands its X1 lineup in a market where the model is currently BMW’s highest-selling luxury SUV.
BMW X1 Long Wheelbase Set for August 21 Debut
Customers can place orders through BMW India’s authorized dealer network or register their interest online. BMW has not yet released pricing, powertrain specifications or the complete equipment list, leaving those details for the official launch later this month.
The new combustion-powered X1 Long Wheelbase is not BMW’s first stretched version of the model in India. That distinction belongs to the all-electric iX1 Long Wheelbase, which debuted at Auto Expo 2025 under the name “BMW X1 Long Wheelbase All Electric.”
The electric model became BMW’s first EV manufactured in India and was offered exclusively in eDrive20L guise. The upcoming X1 Long Wheelbase extends the same long-wheelbase concept to a combustion-powered model.
A Longer X1 Brings More Space
The main appeal of the long-wheelbase X1 is additional interior space. The existing iX1 Long Wheelbase measures 4,616 mm, or 181.7 inches, from bumper to bumper and rides on a 2,800-mm, or 110.2-inch, wheelbase.
BMW said at launch that those dimensions made the iX1 Long Wheelbase one of the largest vehicles in its segment.
Demand for long-wheelbase vehicles has also increased in India. During H1 2026, long-wheelbase models recorded a 24% increase in sales and represented more than half of BMW’s total sales in the country.
The iX1 also became BMW’s highest-selling EV and the leader of the premium EV segment, according to a BMW India press release.
BMW X1 LWB Remains a Market-Specific Model
The new stretched X1 is not expected to reach U.S. dealerships. BMW has offered market-specific long-wheelbase versions of its vehicles, and China is another market where the X1 LWB is available.
China already offers a gas-powered X1 LWB, although specifications can vary between markets. The Chinese version is 116 mm, or 4.5 inches, longer than the traditional X1 and 11 mm, or .43 inches, taller.
Its larger cargo area provides 540 liters, or 19 cubic feet, of capacity compared with 476 liters, or 16.8 cubic feet, in the standard X1.
India Gets More Choice in the X1 Lineup
Most other markets continue to receive the standard-wheelbase X1, including the more powerful X1 M35i. Customers seeking additional BMW SUV space therefore have to move up to the considerably larger X3.
In India, the X1 Long Wheelbase creates a different option. Buyers can retain the dimensions and positioning of BMW’s smallest SUV while gaining additional rear-seat space normally associated with a larger vehicle.
The model also gives Indian buyers interested in a stretched compact SUV an alternative to the electric iX1 Long Wheelbase. BMW will reveal the powertrain, pricing and remaining specifications for the new X1 Long Wheelbase on August 21.
