Yahoo Autos The New BMW 1-Series Is a FWD-Based Hot Hatchback with 302 HP
The third generation of the BMW 1-series hatchback has been revealed, and it now rides on a front-wheel-drive platform.
A M135i xDrive model tops the lineup with a 302-hp turbocharged engine and an all-wheel-drive system taken from the X2 M35i.
While the 1-series hatch won't come to the U.S., we'll get a 2-series Gran Coupe based on the same platform.
Here in the United States, we have always been denied the BMW 1-series hatchback, instead getting the coupe and convertible (and now that car's replacements, the 2-series). The first 1-series was pretty radical, a compact hatchback using rear-wheel drive when every competitor was front-wheel drive, and the second generation kept the same platform. But now BMW has revealed the third-generation 1-series hatch, and it has received a radical change in the opposite direction: It now rides on the same front-wheel-drive platform as other BMW Group products including the X1 and the Mini Countryman.
We knew this was coming, as BMW launched a front-wheel-drive 1-series sedan in China a few years ago. The new car's front-drive underpinnings are immediately apparent: there's a small gap between the front-door seam and the front wheel arch and a large amount of front overhang. There's some surfacing on the sides (and yet another variation of BMW's Hofmeister kink), an extremely fussy front end with merged kidney grilles, and a fairly sleek rear end, but it basically just looks like a scrunched-down car version of the X2.
The interior design has some futuristic elements and an interesting dashboard design, but all of the controls are typical BMW. A lot of color is used throughout, and the dashboard and door trim can be illuminated as an option. There's an 8.8-inch central screen as standard, but BMW's Live Cockpit Professional system is available, which uses a digital gauge cluster and a larger central display, both measuring 10.3 inches. A ton of new features are available for the first time, including a panoramic sunroof, an advanced parking assistant, smartphone-as-key tech, and BMW's Intelligent Personal Assistant voice-recognition system.
Five engines will be available at first, with the 116-hp diesel 116d at the bottom of the heap. All-wheel drive is optional, and transmissions include a six-speed manual, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and an eight-speed automatic. The 1-series is available with adaptive dampers, and all models have a multilink suspension setup in the rear. BMW says that the new 1-series has "a dynamic sharpness unprecedented in front-wheel-drive cars," adding that the car is the result of five years of front-drive platform development.
The range-topping model is the M135i xDrive, which has the same 302-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, eight-speed automatic, and all-wheel-drive system as the X2 M35i. Like the X2, it has a mechanical limited-slip differential, and bigger brakes and different steering and suspension tuning are part of the package as well. Using launch control, BMW says the M135i xDrive will hit 62 mph in 4.7 seconds when equipped with an M Performance package and go on to a top speed of 155 mph. The M135i gets its own unique styling, too, with much more aggressive bumpers, bigger wheels, dual exhaust, and sportier bucket seats. While the M135i will make for a very hot hatch, we wouldn't be surprised to see an even more powerful version down the line to compete with AMG's upcoming 415-hp A45-especially because the outgoing M140i had 335 horsepower.
As before, we won't get the 1-series hatchback in the United States-if you want a compact, front-wheel-drive-based BMW, you've gotta buy a crossover. But BMW is launching a 2-series Gran Coupe based on the same platform later this year, which will be a swoopy four-door to go after the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Its powertrain lineup should match that of the 1-series, so expect a hot M235i model to come down the line.
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