The upcoming BMW 1 Series sedan has been spotted testing and, this time, has shed some of its camouflage giving us a basic idea of what the production model will look like when it is launched later year. The 1 Series sedan was previewed in concept form as the BMW Compact Sedan at the Guangzhou Motor Show last year.
The pictures show us that in typical BMW form, the 1 Series sedan will mimic its elder siblings in terms of external design and style elements. The iconic stubby boot and long hood styling has been kept while the wheels too have been lifted from the current crop of sedans. However, some of the budget measures are visible in the form of conventional headlights and ORVMs. The tail lamps too appear to be conventional but they may just become LED units as is the trend among manufacturers these days.
The 1 Series sedan will be the first BMW sedan (in its multi-decade history) to be an FWD model. It will be underpinned by the UKL1 platform that also powers the Mini range of cars as well as models like the 2 Series Grand Tourer. It is also expected to share the engine and gearbox options used in the Mini range. It will be BMW’s challenger to Audi’s A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA.
