Photo: Audi
BMW used to say that it would not build a smaller car than the 1 Series, but a report claims the German brand has a new strategy.
BMW might make a smaller hatchback than the current 1 Series, which will be tiny enough to rival the Audi A1. The car is expected to be built on BMW Group’s UKL platform, a technical solution used by both the new addition to the MINI range, the 2 Series Active Tourer, and the second-generation X1.
While BMW representatives have yet to comment on the matter, the smaller brother of the 1 Series might even get the latter’s name.
According to a report from the Spaniards at Motor.es, the new car would be called the 1 Series, while the successor of the ongoing model would be called the 2 Series.
This part of the report is a little tricky to understand when looking at BMW’s current lineup, but the company does not have the option of calling the new model "0 Series."
The move from the current strategy of BMW to introducing a car smaller than the 1 Series would be justified by the majority of the world’s population living in urban environments. Considering most people on the Globe live and work in cities, getting a smaller vehicle would make sense to those looking for a new car.
However, developing a BMW to undersize the ongoing 1 Series would raise a potential cannibalization within the German group, as the MINI brand already has a hatchback in that size range. Curiously, the MINI range has kept increasing the size of its products since being taken over by BMW, but we are sure this was not part of a greater plan to introduce a car smaller than the 1 Series.
In the end, we suggest taking these rumors with a grain of salt, as launching a BMW smaller than the ongoing 1 Series just to have an Audi A1 rival might not happen as anticipated. If the report is accurate, BMW would have to come up with something to differentiate the new model from its platform siblings at MINI, while also coming up with an edge over the A1.
While BMW representatives have yet to comment on the matter, the smaller brother of the 1 Series might even get the latter’s name.
According to a report from the Spaniards at Motor.es, the new car would be called the 1 Series, while the successor of the ongoing model would be called the 2 Series.
This part of the report is a little tricky to understand when looking at BMW’s current lineup, but the company does not have the option of calling the new model "0 Series."
The move from the current strategy of BMW to introducing a car smaller than the 1 Series would be justified by the majority of the world’s population living in urban environments. Considering most people on the Globe live and work in cities, getting a smaller vehicle would make sense to those looking for a new car.
However, developing a BMW to undersize the ongoing 1 Series would raise a potential cannibalization within the German group, as the MINI brand already has a hatchback in that size range. Curiously, the MINI range has kept increasing the size of its products since being taken over by BMW, but we are sure this was not part of a greater plan to introduce a car smaller than the 1 Series.
In the end, we suggest taking these rumors with a grain of salt, as launching a BMW smaller than the ongoing 1 Series just to have an Audi A1 rival might not happen as anticipated. If the report is accurate, BMW would have to come up with something to differentiate the new model from its platform siblings at MINI, while also coming up with an edge over the A1.
Google News