BMW 1-series sedan showcased at Guangzhou auto show

BMW has revealed the new 1-series sedan in production form at the Guangzhou auto show 2016, a year after revealing the compact sedan concept at the same event last year.

The new BMW 1-series sedan borrows much of its styling from the compact sedan concept, but gets notable differences in design like the addition of fog lamps on the front bumpers, new alloy wheels and wing mirrors, and minor tweaks to the trim on the exterior. The BMW 1-series sedan gets a familiar look on the back as well, with styling reminiscent of the larger BMW 3-series with similarly-shaped tail lamps.

Inside the cabin, the dashboard has seemingly been lifted from the new X1. There is a large centrally-mounted infotainment display, a three-spoke multi-function steering and a larger gear-lever in place of the joystick-like unit offered on a plethora of BMW’s hatchbacks and sedans.

The sedan also seems to have been developed with cabin space in mind, with the car measuring 4456mm long, 1803mm wide and 1446mm in height along with a wheelbase of 2670mm. This makes it shorter than its main rival, the Mercedes CLA (the longest here) and equal to the Audi A3, though the wheelbase is greater than the latter’s. The car is also wider than both its rivals.

Based on BMW’s UKL front-wheel drive platform – the same underpinning the X1 – the 1-series sedan is offered with a choice of three petrol engines. Starting the line-up is a base 118i with a 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder motor followed by a mid-spec 120i featuring a 192hp 2.0-litre turbo petrol and a top-spec 125i with a 231hp version of the same engine. 

The 1-series sedan has been developed as a China-specific model and will be manufactured by the BMW Brilliance Automotive company – BMW’s Chinese joint venture.

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