BMW is working on an all-new 1 Series. This revamped model is expected to
debut sometime next year. Auto Express has created a rendering
to preview the 2018 BMW 1 Series hatchback in 3-door form.
The renderings suggest an evolutionary redesign for
the 2018 BMW 1 Series hatchback and hint at a front-end more aggressive than
the BMW 1 Series Sedan. BMW will
likely once again make its entry-level car in 3-door and 5-door forms, with the
latter arriving first.
The third-gen BMW 1 Series hatchback (codename: BMW
F40), like the BMW 1 Series Sedan, will utilise the UKL platform. This means
the compact hatchback will switch from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive.
The all-new model will not require a prop shaft and have a wheelbase longer
than the outgoing model’s (2,690 mm), and thus, it will offer more room and
increased boot space. The length and width of the car are also expected to
increase.
BMW will offer the next-gen BMW 1 Series hatchback
with three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Due to the UKL
platform’s incompatibility, straight-six-engines are out of the question and
the flagship M140 performance model will have to settle for a turbocharged
four-cylinder engine instead.
Lastly, the range will include a frugal iPerformance
plug-in hybrid variant with the MINI Countryman plug-in hybrid sharing its
technology. The next-gen BMW 1 Series hatchback is expected to debut only in
2018.