BMW 1-Series Compact (2014) - Automotive News

CAR GARAGE | BMW 1-Series Compact (2014) | The 2014 BMW 1-Series Compact will share a new modular architecture with the third generation of BMW's British-built Mini (expected to start rolling out in calendar '13) but will have different dimensions and BMW styling cues. Auto car says the 2014 BMW 1-Series Compact will be Offered as a tall 4-door hatchback with a short nose and a "one-box" profile, and as a lower, sportier two-door hatch with a longer front and "two-box "shape.

Engines for the 2014 BMW 1-Series Compact - the which mounted transversely, also as in minis but not rear-drive 1s - will comprise new 3 - and 4-cylinder designs with turbocharging and direct fuel injection. The company also plans a 3-cylinder turbo diesel in 120 - and 150-horsepower tune. Three-cylinder power has long been popular Among Japanese manufacturers, but is now increasingly preferred by Continental companies for future compact and subcompact cars. The 2014 BMW 1-Series Compact is just another example of the trend.

That the 2014 Automobile reports BMW 1-Series Compact will also be Offered with a hybrid power train and as a pure battery-powered electric vehicle (EV). Regardless of engine, sources say the 2014 BMW 1-Series Compact will offer a 6-speed manual transmission and, at extra cost, a new dual-clutch automated-manual. Interestingly, planners do not expect the 2014 BMW 1-Series Compact Mini to interfere with sales. As Auto car's insider source notes, "Our research shows That BMW and Mini appeal to different buyers. We want a car That will appeal to non-BMW buyers with a focus on roominess and interior flexibility, yet like our existing entry-level model it will be fun to drive and cheap to run.

Given that, Auto car's Hilton Holloway terms the 2014 BMW 1-Series Compact "Inevitable. Six years after the launch of the rear-drive 1-Series, environmental legislation and a shift by global buyers toward smaller cars Meant That BMW Could no longer ignore the sector, "Mini notwithstanding. He also notes that "using a future BMW Considered Peugeot platform for the next-gen Mini. But That research found nearly all buyers of 1-Series hatchbacks did not know Their car was rear-drive. BMW figured That it was a Greater risk to base Minis on a mass-market platform than it was to build a front-drive BMWs. So it has Decided to roll into the BMW Mini project and aim to build up to 800.000-badged premium, premium-priced small front-drive cars each year from late 2013. Snob appeal still sells, and the BMW brand has plenty of that.