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BMW Concept Compact Sedan Previews FWD F52 1 Series Sedan

The web stopped and took notice when BMW revealed this, the Concept Compact Sedan or CCS for short, today. It's the design study we've been curious to see and dreading in equal measure. Presented today at the 2015 Guangzhou Auto Show, the model is described simply as the "four-door sedan for the compact segment."
BMW Concept Compact Sedan 18 photos
Photo: BMW
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BMW did not discuss any technical details, but everyone expects this to be a study for the upcoming front-wheel-driven sedan that the company needs in order to compete with Audi and Mercedes.

You see, while the A3 and CLA use their front wheels to tug themselves into corners, BMW used an RWD platform for the 1 Series 3-door, 5-door and the 2-series coupe and convertible. That setup is great for handling, but it places certain restrictions on where the firewall needs to be and how much room your passengers have in the back seats.

BMW dipped its toe into the waters with 2 Series Active Tourer, followed by the second generation of the X1 crossover. We can honestly say these Bavarians are getting better at this new type of powertrain, so the yet unnamed 4-door model should be a decent one.

Several spy photos have shown that the sedan has undergone testing on track and even in the snowy Scandinavian conditions. Following BMW's typical MO, the production model could thus debut within one year.

Moving back to the concept, we, unfortunately, don't have any dimensions. That means a comparison with the current 1/2 Series cannot be made. Nonetheless, don't expect anything shorter than 4.5 meters. Both the X1 and the 2 Series Active Tourer have a 2,670mm wheelbase that sounds perfect for any car in the compact class.

The UKL platform has been mentioned so often that we probably don't need to say anything about the engines. Regardless, we'll quickly mention that you can expect only 1.5 and 2.0-liter turbocharged (sometimes bi-turbo) engines with somewhere between 95 and 231 horsepower… maybe even 300 hp on a possible M Performance model. Of course, xDrive will be available to battle quattro and 4Matic systems offered by the rivals.

BMW's designers have done a wonderful job with the styling of this vehicle. The front end is even stronger than on the current 1 Series, and the back shows exaggerated masculine proportions. The concept's cockpit hints at the family ties, meaning all the switches will be borrowed from existing models. Here we also find the typical Nappa leather trim, an iDrive controller, 8.8-inch main display with a very wide configuration and a head-up display.

The characterful design of the BMW Concept Compact Sedan embodies the driving pleasure offered by a sporting car with minimised exterior dimensions. It is as distinctive as it is essential - and, as such, it injects new life into the compact segment. This four-door sedan stands for everything that sets BMW apart,” explains Karim Habib, Head of Design BMW Automobiles.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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