Spyshots: BMW 1 Series Sedan For China

Unofficial images of BMW’s upcoming 1 Series Sedan has leaked into the internet ahead of its slated global debut at this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show happening in November.

China-based automotive portal CarNewsChina.com has published a set of images that show the all-new 1er Sedan fully undisguised including, for the first time, clear shots of its rear.

Not much is known about the 1 Series Sedan at the moment other than the fact that it will be produced in China by BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd, BMW’s joint venture company with Brilliance Auto. The vehicle was first previewed in the 2015 Guangzhou Auto Show as the Concept Compact Sedan.

BMW states that the vehicle will be an exclusive product for the Chinese market, but there is no reason to conclude that the decision will not be reversed if strong enough demand exists for it elsewhere in the world.

It is known that the next-generation 1 Series hatchback will adopt the transverse-engine front wheel drive UKL2 platform currently underpinning the X1 and 2 Series Tourer models. Logically, it follows that this new 1 Series Sedan should be using that same set of underpinnings as well.

Indeed, it is not inconceivable that the forward half of this vehicle would foreshadow what we can expect of the next-generation 1 Series hatchback, or even the 2 Series Coupe for that matter.

The report from CarNewsChina.com also elaborates that the new 1 Series Sedan will be offered in three variants, all powered by turbocharged petrol engines from the modular B series engine family. The base 118i will be powered by the 136hp 1.5-litre 3-cylinder powerplant, whilst the 120i and 125i will get the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder unit dispatching 192hp and 231hp respectively.

Body size as reported by CarNewsChina.com measures 4,456mm long and 1,803mm wide by 1,446mm tall. Wheelbase measures 2,670mm. Comparatively, it dwarfs the Audi A3 Sedan (4,421mm x 1,793mm x 1,409mm, WB: 2,595mm); against the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the 1er is shorter in length (4,630mm) and wheelbase (2,699mm), but is wider (1,777mm) and taller (1,432mm).