BMW X1 is Europe's top selling premium SUV

The X1 edged out its rival the Q5 by a mere 407 units, with BMW shifting 44,067 cars from January to June this year. Audi in comparison sold 43,660 Q5s to settle for second place in the charts. The Volvo XC60 is a distant third with 29,616 units sold, followed by the Land Rover Freelander with 20,138 cars, and the BMW X5 with 16,565 units.

BMW says that X1 sales remain strong, with an additional 11,483 cars sold in Europe for July alone. An advantage the X1 has is its price, which at €27,200 in Europe, is at least €9,000 less than any of the other models in the top five.

However, the X1 is in for some competition come 2011, with rivals from Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz set to market, along with the upcoming Audi Q3 and Saab 9-4X. There is also the possibility of its stable mate the Mini Countryman stealing sales from the X1.