New BMW 1 Series Would Make a Great A-Class Rival
BMW yesterday unveiled the third-generation 1 Series, a small, five-door hatchback with sportier styling and considerably more interior space than its predecessors.
It will make its public debut on June 25-27 during the automaker’s #NEXTGen presentation in Munich before making an appearance at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The model is then scheduled to go on sale in early fall across Europe, but also in some parts of Africa plus New Zealand.
What about North America? Currently, we only have the 2 Series, which is the coupe and cabriolet equivalent of the 1 Series, and it will stay that way for the foreseeable future as BMW has no plans to bring the new five-door to our shores.
That’s too bad. Not because sub-compact cars are popular among U.S and Canadian buyers (they’re not), but rather because this little hatch looks pretty hot and would give the award-winning Mercedes-Benz A-Class a run for its money. The latter happens to be The Car Guide’s Best Buy in the sub-compact luxury car segment for 2019 and the overall Best New Car of the Year.
The redesigned BMW 1 Series is available in a new front-wheel-drive configuration, which explains the significant increase in passenger and cargo room versus the previous rear-wheel-drive setup, or optionally with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.
In terms of styling, we like the larger kidney grille and angled headlights up front, as well as the strong character line that rises toward a sexy profile in the rear. If you can believe it, 19-inch wheels are available. Inside, the ambient lighting looks cool and the arrangement of displays for the driver (called BMW Live Cockpit) is not unlike the interface in the A-Class.
The trunk has a capacity of 380 litres and folding down the rear seat bench increases this to 1,200 litres.
As for performance, three diesel engines and two gasoline units are available globally, with the most notable powering the M135i xDrive (306 hp, 332 lb.-ft.). It’s actually the most potent four-cylinder in the entire BMW Group lineup, allowing acceleration from 0-100 km/h in a mere 4.8 seconds.
BMW also offers three different transmissions: six-speed manual, seven-speed dual-clutch and eight-speed automatic. If it were sold in Canada, the BMW 1 Series would most likely feature an autobox along with a choice of two suspension setups (standard and M Sport).
