Follow the paint trail

BMW's X1 compact SUV is aimed at the young urban driver with an active lifestyle. Photo / Supplied

Automotive industry observers are wondering if BMW will use a controversial Z4-like advertising campaign for the new X1 when the crossover model lands in this part of the world early next year.

The ad featured a Z4 spreading different coloured paints by driving around on a warehouse floor. It spearheaded the campaign for the two-seater in a number of countries - but was banned in Australia.

The Advertising Standards Board across the ditch upheld a complaint that the ad would encourage "hoons" to "spin and burn their tyres on a public road".

The ASB said it broke the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' voluntary code of practice and ordered it taken off the air.

BMW Australia disagreed with the ruling but did not lodge an appeal - it had already finished showing the advertisement.

Company spokesman Toni Andreevski questioned the decision and described the voluntary code of practice as "onerous".

"They have to get a balance, but I think in this case it proves that we don't have the balance right," he said.

"Does this mean we should ban V8 Supercars or Formula One because the cars do more than double the speed limit? How about banning Underbelly because there are illegal car chases?" he said.

Andreevski said the portrayal of vehicles in motorsport and TV shows was more likely to encourage illegal driving than car advertisements.

"Watching a movie hero driving in a dangerous way is going to have more of an effect on younger people, and I'm sure there are a few people probably [trying to] emulate their favourite V8 Supercar drivers on the road."

The X1 is a compact SUV and isn't expected to influence "hoon" driver behaviour here or across the Tasman, even though BMW plans to aim it at "significantly younger urban customers, with an active and varied lifestyle."

It is packaged around the small/medium 1-Series coupe and hatchback range, using the same line-up of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and borrowing the xDrive four-wheel-drive system used in the X3, X5 and X6. It will also come with a range of BMW EfficientDynamics features, including brake energy regeneration, start/stop and a gearshift point indicator.

The BMW X1 will be offered in Europe with a choice of one six-cylinder petrol engine and three four-cylinder diesels, expected to start in price from around €34,000, or NZ$75,000. The European range will kick off with the line-up's only rear-drive model, the 2-litre turbo-diesel sDrive18d delivering 105kW at 4000 rpm and 320Nm between 1750 and 3000rpm.