Hello my dear friends As BMW's 3 Series continues to grow
bigger and shift upmarket with each generation, so grows the void that could
easily accommodate a smaller BMW sedan. A3 sedan.
Given the positive acclaim garnered
by the new Audi A3 sedan and Mercedes-Bens CLA, BMW must be itching to get in
on the action - although its "better late than never" entry is still
a good four years away.
Having spoken to a company insider,
Autoweek revealed that BMW has given the green light to a four-door version of
the 1-Series, which will see light of day in 2017. However, here comes the kicker: the
publication also reports that the new entry-level sedan will be based on BMW's
new front-wheel drive architecture.
HUH? A FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE BMW?
Of course, traditional BMW
petrol-heads who enjoy finely-balanced rear-wheel drive road holding will no
doubt cry blue murder, but then consider that 80 percent of 1 Series owners
think their car is front-wheel driven - a statistic that BMW openly admitted to
a few years back.
No doubt the 1 Series sedan would
aim to be a spiritual successor to the E30 3 Series of the eighties. Minus the
rear-wheel drive entertainment factor of course.
Although the imminent 2-Series
two-door range will be rear-wheel driven, it's already well known that BMW will
soon launch a front-wheel drive 1 Series GT MPV, based on the Active Tourer concept
. Now all the signs are pointing towards the 2017 sedan and 2018 hatchback also
going the FWD route.
AWD TOO... AND M-POWER
Thankfully, this architecture allows
for all-wheel drive versions, which at least opens the door for
high-performance 'M' models.
Just don't expect a lusty
straight-six to feature. According to Autocar, such models are set to follow
the times with a highly-tuned 2-litre four-cylinder motor. And if AMG can
squeeze 265kW from an engine of that size for its A45 AMG, surely BMW is not
going to aim much lower than that mark.
As for the more humble 1 Series
sedan and hatch models, our money is on BMW's upcoming 1.5-litre three-cylinder
turbopetrol being the mainstay of the range. A lot gutsier than it sounds, the
engine can be tuned to produce between 90kW and 165kW.
Of course, these smaller engines
will reap an economy advantage just like the front-wheel drive layout will
increase interior space and reduce production costs.
Yet one question remains: does BMW
deserve a thumbs-down for straying too far from its traditional values or a pat
on the back for boldly following the times? Tell us what you think…
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