The 1 Series saloon will be front-wheel drive but may come with an xDrive AWD option
BMW is set to take on the Audi A3 saloon next year with a new compact front-wheel-drive four-door
The BMW 1 Series saloon has been spotted testing for the first time ahead of a 2016 launch.
The saloon is based on the same platform as the next generation of the 1 Series hatchback and both cars are set to be front-wheel drive. The current 1 Series hatchback is the last that will be offered with rear-wheel drive.
The new saloon will join the 2 Series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer in being front-wheel drive. However, both of these models are also offered with four-wheel drive, so there is a possibility that the 1 Series will come with an xDrive option as well.
The pictures show a four-door model similar in shape to the current 3 Series, albeit smaller. The current 3 Series is 4624mm long and the 1 Series hatchback 4324mm.
This new model was spotted testing at the Nürburgring and is expected to be a rival to the likes of the Audi A3 saloon and the Mercedes-Benz CLA. This is an area in which BMW does not currently compete.
The 1 Series saloon is set to go on sale before the new version of the hatchback, because the three-door and five-door 1 Series were facelifted only this year.
The new saloon is likely to offer similar engines to the 1 Series hatch. These include a range of transverse three-cylinder and four-cylinder petrol and diesel units. However, there is also the possibility of a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid at a later stage.
The new 1 Series platform will also form the basis of the second-generation X1, with the compact SUV going on sale this autumn. It will also be offered as a predominantly front-wheel-drive model.
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