The front-wheel drive platform won’t be the only significant new feature of the upcoming BMW 1-Series Gran Turismo (GT), as our spies have just captured a longer version of the car sporting a third row of seats increasing its capacity to seven passengers.
BMW had given us our first taste of the five-seat variant of the 1 GT with the Concept Active Hybrid at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, but it hadn’t prepared us for a longer model.
If you compare these spy shots to the concept as well as camouflaged prototypes of the 5-seat GT, you will see that the two cars are identical up to the B-pillar, with the 7-seat model featuring longer rear doors, roofline and rear overhang as well as a more upright tailgate, to increase rear passenger space and accommodate a third row of seats.
BMW’s foray into the premium compact minivan segment makes use of the group’s new and modular UKL1 platform, which will also be utilized by the next generation of MINI-branded models.
All 1-Series GT models will likely be offered with BMW’s newly developed 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from launch, with outputs ranging from 120hp and 222hp for the gasoline units and between 80hp and 180hp for the diesels.
We hear that the production five-seat version of the 1 GT will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with the 7-seat model to follow next year.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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