The first vehicle designed for the new China-only Zinoro brand by BMW and joint venture partner Brilliance Automotive has been spied undergoing testing in Germany.
Captured by CarAdvice’s spy photographers near BMW’s development department in Munich, the prototype appears almost identical to the BMW X1 on which the production car will be based.
The images reveal a new grille in place of the Bavarians’ signature kidney fixtures and a remodelled rear bumper, although it’s unclear at this stage how close the styling of this test car is to the production version.
The Zinoro crossover will be considerably different to the X1 under the skin, however, trading the BMW’s fuel-burning combustion engines for an electric drivetrain.
Details of its zero-emission propulsion system remain secret at this stage.
BMW established its production presence in China a decade ago, and since then has invested 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) into its production facilities with Brilliance.
Neither BMW nor Brilliance has revealed when the X1-based Zinoro crossover will launch onto the Chinese market.
