The rear-driven BMW 1 Series has always appealed more to keen drivers as an idea than as a fully realised car.
Back in 2004, when I was a youngster starting out in this job, I remember being drawn so instinctively to the notion of a proper ‘standard-drive’ BMW as an alternative to a run-of-the-mill front-drive hatchback. The car’s promise was to take the humble hatchback into new and truly involving territory in terms of driver appeal.
But it was a promise the 1 Series has scarcely, if ever, come close to fulfilling. Squeezing a longways engine, a transmission tunnel and rear-wheel drive into such a small car clearly presented BMW with enormous packaging challenges. Even in today’s 1 Series, you become aware of them when you see how cramped the car’s rear seats are compared with those of its transverse-engined rivals.
Likewise, when you drive the car, the apparent difficulties present in numbers. To this day, the 1 Series is a hatchback that rides and handles in a pitching, restless fashion, like a car with a necessarily high centre of gravity whose bulk has been heaped on top of its wheelbase rather than nestled within it.
Moving to a front-wheel drive layout should at once dramatically increase the usable length of the 1 Series’ interior and also increase the amount of available space within it for passengers. It’s interesting to read that BMW will be seeking to preserve the 1 Series' idiosyncratic backwards-swept and cabin-rear design proportions as much as possible – and that’s probably wise. But even in light of that, we should clearly expect a shorter bonnet, a longer glasshouse and longer rear doors.
More content:
Front-wheel-drive BMW 1 Series saloon review
2019 BMW 1 Series top model to be 300bhp M130iX M Performance
BMW: six new front-wheel-drive models to look out for
Why the Mercedes-Benz C300de could be the saviour of diesel
Join the debate
Add your comment
A sad day, if only because I
A sad day, if only because I thoroughly enjoy watching the owners of BMWs who have bought them for the badge and know nothing about how RWD works struggling through snow and ice.
Somebody once recounted to me they watched a woman fitting snow socks onto the front wheels of a 1 series.....
Still doesn't address the fact that most BMWs are pug-ugly and driven by morons.
BMW has always said the
BMW has always said the contrary.
It's funny.
It's only to sell more expensive a cheaper car to produce.
Question
How is it 4WD hatches don't suffer interior space limitations, but a RWD hatch like the 1-series does? Afterall, both types have rear axels.
Is it to do with engine and gearbox positioning?