BMW‘s engineers are toiling away on their next big-small project, the 1-Series sedan, poised to join the battle against the Audi A3 saloon and Mercedes-Benz CLA.
Before we let your imagination run wild, let’s put a stop to any meaningful associations between BMW’s upcoming 1-Series sedan and its famed E30 3-Series: yes, the two cars should have a similar footprint, and in some ways, target a similar audience, but one fundamental ingredient from the E30 formula is missing: rear wheel drive.
The new 1-Series will not be based on the 2-Series Coupe or current 1-Series hatchback, but on the same UKL (Unter Klasse or entry-level) structure as the front-wheel drive 2-Series Active Tourer, also shared with the latest Mini hatch.
A four-wheel drive option could be on the table for select engines, which will likely be common with the 2-Series AT and include both petrol and diesel units ranging in displacement from 1.5- to 2.0-liters paired to six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmissions.
A sported-up M125i with a 2.0-liter turbo’d four is expected to be on offer as well providing BMW with an Audi S3 rival.
As for when we can expect to see the 1-Series sedan, a production model is slated for launch in late 2016 or early 2017, but BMW could give us a sampler via a concept model as early as next year.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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