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BMW Goes OTT With Excessive Camouflage for the Facelifted 2023 1 Series

Getting ready to blow three candles off its birthday cake this summer, the BMW 1 Series is considered old in today’s market. The automaker knows this all too well, so they have started working on its successor.
2023 BMW 1 Series 13 photos
Photo: CarPix
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Don’t let the thick camouflage applied to the prototype pictured in our gallery, which was spotted by our spy photographers in a parking lot, trick you, because it’s not a new generation, but a mid-cycle refresh. As a result, expect it with the usual tweaked front and rear ends, and perhaps some changes inside, and maybe under the hood too.

In terms of styling, it is almost impossible to decipher the exact things that BMW will do to it. However, it may have a redesigned grille beneath the fake skin, which could copy the shape of the unrelated 2 Series Coupe, to an extent. The headlights might also be revised, and it appears that the bumper looks different, with a bigger central air intake and repositioned side ones.

At the opposite end, the tailgate seems to look the same. It still retains the license plate holder in the middle and is flanked by the taillights, expected to have an identical shape and new graphics. The bumper is also new and looks softer, and from what we can tell, the auto firm has given it new reflectors that sit further up, likely beneath the black tape.

Elsewhere, look for new wheels, and probably additional paint finishes, and perhaps a new infotainment system inside. BMW could round it off with more upholstery and trim options.

It is still way too early to speak about the powertrain family, but if anything, the facelifted 1 Series could soldier on with the same lumps. A plug-in hybrid does not appear to be in the pipeline, and neither does a battery-electric variant.

The official unveiling date is obviously unknown, though we suspect that it might launch early next year.
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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