Next BMW 1 Series aims at younger affluent buyers
The completely new 1 Series will utilise the Neue Klasse platform. And it will be available as a plug-in hybrid or full EV, the latter with BWM brand boss, Bernd Koerber, confirmed that the small car is central to BMW's strategy in southern Europe. He said that dropping the 1 Series would cost the brand up to one-third of its business in markets like Italy, Greece and Spain. Koerber added that the model is important in securing first-time buyers to the brand. The compact, sporty and relatively affordable 1 Series has been the entry point to BMW for two decades. A double kidney design that shouldn't polarise the masses.
Styling will take cues from the Neue Klasse 3 Series. It will feature a smooth, modern front end and reimagined kidney grilles that span the car's width. Likely as not it will come with flush door handles, pronounced creases, and M Sport-inspired detailing. Expect 5 Series and i5 cues as well, with the electric and hybrid versions likely to be almost identical.
The scalable Neue Klasse platform will have an 800-volt architecture, rare in the small car class. That ensures ultra-fast charging convenience, while BMW has hinted at a range beyond 480km. The focus won't be on moderately sized batteries with quick, everyday usability.
The petrol and hybrid variants will probably retain the 120, 123 and M135 labels, with an 'e' suffix for plug-in versions. The EV will use the i1 badge. BMW will leave smaller, fully electric models to Mini for city car duties.
The new underpinnings will fix some of the current 1 Series shortcomings. A longer wheelbase translates to improved rear legroom and a roomier boot, targeting 400 litres. That's a significant upgrade over the current model.
The cabin will feature a compacted version of BMW's panoramic iDrive display, wireless charging, and OTA software updates. Full smartphone connectivity will appeal to tech-savvy younger buyers.
BMW sees the 1 Series as innovating with clever, cost-efficient engineering, providing trickle up solutions to higher segments.
Natural adversaries include Mercedes CLA EV, Volkswagen ID.3 and Audi's upcoming small EV, along with VW Golf, Cupra Leon and Mazda 3.
The 1 Series and i1 serve as BMW's reply to a market that demands versatility, sustainability, style and a fun drive. With the right mix of design, tech and driving appeal, BMW's smallest might once again rule the roads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
25-07-2025
- RNZ News
Designing with nature in mind
Award-winning architect Amanda Sturgeon doesn't just design buildings, but rather sustainable spaces that connect people with nature. As the CEO of the Biomimicry Institute she leads global regenerative design with the aim of contributing to the reversal of climate change and biodiversity loss. In an era where employee well being is a top priority Amanda talks to Mihi Forbes about the shift towards nature-inspired work environments helping improve employee mental health, productivity and overall job satisfaction. Architect Amanda Sturgeon Photo: The Biomimicry Institute
Otago Daily Times
27-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Hospo precinct complete
Visual stylist Alex Watts and Ayrburn GM Kieran Turnbull in front of Billy's. PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER With next Saturday's opening of opulent, Chinese-inspired restaurant, Billy's, based around a restored homestead, Queenstown's Ayrburn hospitality precinct's complete. Named after farmer William Paterson, who lived with his wife Bessie in the homestead in the late 1800s, Billy's uses five original rooms for dining, supplemented by a large central bar and kitchen. It also has an attached 'orangery', or glass conservatory, which seats another 50 to 60 diners amid lime and lemon trees. The extensive Cantonese-style menu is a nod to the Chinese immigrants who played a major role in the nearby Arrowtown and wider Otago goldrush. "We thought it would work well for our own precinct but also for the wider market," Ayrburn GM Kieran Turnbull says. Ayrburn developer Chris Meehan's again employed architect Jessie Sutherland from Cromwell's SA Studio and Alexander & Co for interior design, in close collaboration with his own Winton team. According to a release, "the venue's interiors are a bold expression of eclectic luxury, featuring velvet banquettes, chinoiserie wallpaper, notable artworks and richly-layered texture that create an atmosphere where history is honoured and indulgence is elevated". Visual stylist Alex Watts notes she sourced 130-plus pieces of art, 85% from New Zealand, over 18 months. Reconstruction of the homestead — one of the first homes in the area featuring electric lighting — was handled by The Builders, while Diemarco built the orangery. Billy's will open Wednesday evenings for dinner and Thursdays through Sundays for both lunch and dinner service. Added to Ayrburn's six existing hospo venues, "it's the final piece of the hospitality puzzle, and it's the puzzle on the board that kind of fits everything together", Turnbull says.
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Scoop
Is This The End Of Nelson's Richard Nixon Statue?
A small Tasman town faces an important question: keep the infamous statue of Richard Nixon or build a community hub instead? The life-size bronze statue of the disgraced US president has bemused residents of Wakefield, about 20km south of Nelson, for more than a decade. The statue, holding Nixon's double peace sign pose, stands on the notorious 52 Edward Street site known as Fort Haldeman - reportedly the former office of the locally defunct publishing company Haldeman LLC, that had been partly owned by controversial businessman Tony Katavich. According to a list on Wikipedia, the statue is only one of two Nixon statues in the world. But Nixon's days, as well as those of the White House-inspired building he welcomes visitors to, could be numbered. Tasman District Council is currently progressing plans for a new community hub for Wakefield to replace the ageing and earthquake-prone village hall. The hub had earlier been assumed to be built on the Wakefield Recreation Reserve, but the current owners of Fort Haldeman approached the council in early 2025 about the possibility of building the hub on their site instead. Peter Verstappen, a Waimea South Community Facility trustee, said the opportunity "came out left of field a little bit". "Until six months ago, this wasn't even a question. We were always heading to the reserve," he said. "In a way, it kind of complicated the process going forward, because suddenly we've got this other whole dimension that we now have to think about." The council is now consulting the community on its preference between the two locations. There are pros and cons to each site, with the reserve offering more space for future expansion but higher costs for infrastructure and utilities, while the Fort Haldeman site is closer to the centre of the village but has fewer future expansion opportunities. Verstappen said, "in all honesty", he doesn't have a site preference. "From what I've seen, I'm reasonably confident we can build the facility that we want, that answers most of the needs of the community, on either site." The council and trust held two community meetings last Tuesday for residents to learn more about the two options. Martin Brown, the council's project manager for the hub, told around 20 attendees of the afternoon session at Wakefield School that it was "very early days" for the Fort Haldeman site. "We're having conversations with the vendors currently. It may or may not progress, but that's part of the process we're having." A representative for the company that now owns Fort Haldeman declined to comment due to commercial sensitivities. The final decision on the location rests with the council and is expected to be made in August, with detailed design work and community fundraising to occur afterwards. Elected members will be presented with site information as well as community feedback ahead of their decision. While the full range of feedback might differ, comments from attendees of the Tuesday afternoon meeting indicated widespread support for the original Wakefield Recreation Reserve site due to its development potential, possibly saving Nixon from removal. "We're building this for not just the present, or even the present decade; we're building it for 50 years, and we need expansion space," one woman said. Moutere-Waimea Ward councillor Christeen Mackenzie has been pushing the project since she was first elected six years ago. She said trying to plan for 50 years' time was like trying to look into a "crystal ball". "Do you have one big shooting box for absolutely everything in one location? That is not necessarily what you might need into the future. Introducing the idea of Site 2 [Fort Haldeman], I think it's giving the community an opportunity to think about that," she said. "If someone comes to the council with a proposal, you've got to do your due diligence and think about it." The Wakefield Community Hub has a budget of around $11 million with $6.4m coming from developers, $2.5m from community fundraising, and $2.1m coming from a loan that will be repaid over time from an existing community facility pot that was funded through rates. Residents can have their say here. The Wakefield hub used to be part of a collective community facility project for Waimea South, including the town of Brightwater. But the two town's projects have since been split apart, and Brightwater's public hall will be upgraded at a cost of about $2.5m.
