BMW Compact Sedan Concept ready to preview 1 or 2 Series

The new compact sedan, which is likely to be called a 1-Series, or though we may see the automaker break with tradition and call it a 2-Series, is set for a reveal sometime next year.

BMW has unveiled the new Compact Sedan concept at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

Beneath the Concept Compact Sedan lies BMW’s UKL front-wheel-drive platform, the same chassis found beneath the 2 Series Active Tourer and MINI’s new vehicles. The dash-axle ratio is not as pronounced as it is on rear-wheel drive BMWmodels, but the body work is curvy and athletic, with a pinched beltline concealing flush door handles. The BMW Compact Sedan concept looks like the same 1-series platform (UKL) based auto that the company has been testing for quite a long time. Thankfully the production version, shown below, looks more balanced.

One the concept, the front section looks elongated like on one of BMW’s larger sedans and there is also a slightly set-back greenhouse, which BMW says gives the vehicle a sense of sportiness.

The side profile is sculpted by multiple character lines in addition to the Hofmeister kink at the rear door. It’s clear the design has been influenced by BMW’s Gran Lusso Coupe concept from 2013.

The interior does not throw up much surprises considering it continues with the same design theme as in the rest of the BMW clan. As for the interior, it gets Nappa leather seats, a heads-up display, orange-colored accent lighting, a panoramic glass roof, touch-sensitive controls, and a freestanding infotainment system with an 8.8-inch display.

There have been no official disclosures pertaining to the powerplant specification of the compact sedan but speculations suggest it will incorporate company’s 3 and 4-cylinder engines that are seen in models like the 2-Series Active Tourer.

The rear bench was created to accommodate two passengers and they’re treated to their own climate control system.

The BMW 1 Series sedan incorporates the company’s traditional design philosophy, albeit on a relatively smaller wheelbase.