Photo: bmw
It might seem unbelievable at first, especially for a model that was launched just a little over 10 years ago but the 1 Series just celebrated the 2 millionth car assembled. Considering that ever since it was unveiled it was the cheapest BMW you could buy new, the number is not all that surprising.
The news came from the BMW Plant Regensburg, where the anniversary 1er rolled out the assembly line. However, there’s even bigger news to be heard and that’s the official market launch for the new car: March 28.
The anniversary car is a new 120i 5-door hatchback that will be shipped to one lucky customer in Japan. It’s wearing the M Sport package and has a new version of the 2-liter B48 engine rated at 177 HP and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. This would also be our pick of the range to be honest, leaving the 125i to those looking for a lot more grunt.
The success of the 1 Series has to do mostly with the fact that it’s still the only one in the segment that offers rear-wheel drive and a better driving feel that its rivals. At the moment, the competition relies heavily on FWD and FWD-based all-wheel drive systems.
It’s therefore a shame that for the future model BMW decided to adopt a FWD setup as well. Sources inside the company claim that the UKL platform will be the stepping stone for the future 1er and that it will all be done to make the most of the available technology they have.
That includes modular engines that can be swapped between cars and have interchangeable parts from diesel to petrol and vice versa.
As for the facelifted 1er that will go on sale starting March 28, the biggest improvements can already be seen on the outside: a completely new face and rear end. As far as technology bits go, the new headlights can be fitted with adaptive LED beams while inside you’ll get new standard features such as iDrive and a bigger screen along with automatic climate control.
The anniversary car is a new 120i 5-door hatchback that will be shipped to one lucky customer in Japan. It’s wearing the M Sport package and has a new version of the 2-liter B48 engine rated at 177 HP and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. This would also be our pick of the range to be honest, leaving the 125i to those looking for a lot more grunt.
The success of the 1 Series has to do mostly with the fact that it’s still the only one in the segment that offers rear-wheel drive and a better driving feel that its rivals. At the moment, the competition relies heavily on FWD and FWD-based all-wheel drive systems.
It’s therefore a shame that for the future model BMW decided to adopt a FWD setup as well. Sources inside the company claim that the UKL platform will be the stepping stone for the future 1er and that it will all be done to make the most of the available technology they have.
That includes modular engines that can be swapped between cars and have interchangeable parts from diesel to petrol and vice versa.
As for the facelifted 1er that will go on sale starting March 28, the biggest improvements can already be seen on the outside: a completely new face and rear end. As far as technology bits go, the new headlights can be fitted with adaptive LED beams while inside you’ll get new standard features such as iDrive and a bigger screen along with automatic climate control.
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