Photo: SB Medien
Step aside Audi A3 Sedan and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class! BMW is bringing out its own small sedan in the next few years and it’s going to be front-wheel drive as well. Codenamed F52, the front-wheel drive BMW 1 Series Sedan was just caught testing on public roads by our trusty spy photographers for the first time.
Just earlier today we were writing about the success Audi’s cheap, entry-level sedan (the A3) and Mercedes-Benz’s own 4-door Coupe CLA-Class (a sedan in our book as well) are recording in the US. It turns out, BMW was listening and is developing its own rival.
It was just a matter of time until we actually saw the first prototype out on the street as we wrote about the possibility of a 1 Series model in this size and shape before.
According to our reliable source within BMW, the car will be built on the same ‘UKL’ platform as the 2 Series Active Tourer and the upcoming X1 and will have a front-wheel drive setup. xDrive all-wheel drive will also be available later on.
Fortunately, the same insider tells us that this 1 Series won’t be kept off American soil no more, as is the case with the current hatchback. The car will be sold in North America in 120i and 125i guises and both of them will be using the new-age B-family of engines. Unfortunately, only the latter will be available with xDrive and only as an optional.
Since it will be sharing the platform with the 2 Series Active Tourer, we’re guessing the same power outputs will be developed, meaning that the 125i will have 231 HP at its disposal coming from a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine.
By the looks of things, the car will also have a different design compared to the hatchback that’s also due for an LCI next year. The camouflage and test headlights/taillights also tell us that this is one of the few first prototypes that went out for tests and that we should expect this car somewhere in late 2015, early 2016 for a price point lower than the 2 Series.
It was just a matter of time until we actually saw the first prototype out on the street as we wrote about the possibility of a 1 Series model in this size and shape before.
According to our reliable source within BMW, the car will be built on the same ‘UKL’ platform as the 2 Series Active Tourer and the upcoming X1 and will have a front-wheel drive setup. xDrive all-wheel drive will also be available later on.
Fortunately, the same insider tells us that this 1 Series won’t be kept off American soil no more, as is the case with the current hatchback. The car will be sold in North America in 120i and 125i guises and both of them will be using the new-age B-family of engines. Unfortunately, only the latter will be available with xDrive and only as an optional.
Since it will be sharing the platform with the 2 Series Active Tourer, we’re guessing the same power outputs will be developed, meaning that the 125i will have 231 HP at its disposal coming from a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine.
By the looks of things, the car will also have a different design compared to the hatchback that’s also due for an LCI next year. The camouflage and test headlights/taillights also tell us that this is one of the few first prototypes that went out for tests and that we should expect this car somewhere in late 2015, early 2016 for a price point lower than the 2 Series.
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