Last year, BMW previewed a very enticing concept at China’s Guangzhou Auto Show called the Concept Compact Sedan. It looked quite complete, just a few tweaks and tucks away from full-scale production. It also looked like a 1 Series Sedan.
And now, like clockwork, here we are looking at just that. However, much like its debut location and the subsequent rumours that it would be limited for sale on in a single large market, the new 1 Series Sedan is, sadly, a China-exclusive model.
The 1 Series Sedan does look very much like the concept from 2015, albeit with less pronounced kidney grilles and more sensible wheels. The interior, however, is a mystery but our guess is that it should mirror BMW’s 1 Series hatch quite closely.
The 1 Series Sedan is collaborative effort between BMW Group and its Chinese manufacturing partner Brilliance Auto, whereupon the new model will be produced and sold in tandem with the locally-made 2 Series Active Tourer and X1 crossover.
Not much on the 1 Series Sedan has been revealed beyond those details, but speculation is now rampant claiming that the car will be first front-wheel drive sedan in the marque’s history. It stems from the possibility that BMW will opt to use UKL platform as the base for the 1 Series Sedan, sharing underpinnings with the front-driven MINI Cooper and 2 Series Active Tourer.
Under that circumstance, it is possible that the new 1 Series Sedan’s engine line-up could mirror that of MINI’s, starting with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol and a more powerful 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo.
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