FWD BMW 1 Series Hatchback Tries Snow-Drifting During Winter Tests

We've seen this coming a long time ago. Ever since the 2 Series Active Tourer, the smaller BMW models have steadily migrated to the platform BMW shares with MINI. It's not the end of the world, since few customers even know which wheels are being powered in their cars.

Because the current 1 Series needs to swallow a long inline-6 engine under the hood, its interior space is compromised. The drive shaft also creates a considerable transmission tunnel and somewhat compromises trunk space. Just to give you an idea of how bad the problem is, the current F20 LCI model has 360 liters of cargo space while the Civic X Hatchback boasts 478 liters.

UKL-based BMW models have been hit-miss-hit-miss. The 2 Series AT brought shame to the brand, but the X1 wasn't half bad. So after the odd-looking and overpriced X2, BMW should give us a hit with the 1 Series.

In our latest spy video, you can even see the prototype doing some mild sideways action on the frozen test road. That not only suggests the nannies can be silenced to a certain degree, but also that the driver is enjoying being behind the wheel.

We believe all 1 Series engines will be of the 1.5 and 2.0-liter turbocharged variety. The lowest output version should be a 116 HP 1.5-liter diesel. However, BMW won't show that nasty stuff at launch. Instead, we're likely going to see the 190 HP diesel taking center stage. Depending on the model, a 6-speed manual, 7-speed DCT or 8-speed Steptronic auto will be fitted. XDrive will be reserved for models with over 150 HP.

Soon after the launch, we should also receive a 125xe plug-in hybrid and the M135i hot hatch with 300 HP from a tweaked 2.0-liter turbo.