BMW 1 Series to go back to the future with rear-wheel drive - report

The next-generation BMW 1 Series will reportedly be available with rear-wheel drive for the first time in about a decade.

According to Autocar the new 1 Series, which is due to launch in 2028, will be available with petrol, plug-in hybrid, and electric drivetrains.

Like the current X3 and iX3, the combustion-powered 1 Series and the electric i1 will be based on different platforms.

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The i1 will use the EV-only Neue Klasse platform that underpins the iX3 SUV and i3 sedan. The Neue Klasse architecture is rear-wheel drive by default, but there will also be a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup for more powerful variants.

If this report is correct, the new i1 will be the first rear-wheel drive 1 Series model since the second-generation ‘F20’ went out of production in 2019.

Those wanting a combustion engine and rear-wheel drive are out of luck, though, as the combustion-powered and plug-in hybrid variants will reportedly continue to use the UKL2 architecture that’s shared with Mini.

The UKL2 platform is front-wheel drive, but also supports all-wheel drive for those models with a few more horses under bonnet.

Speaking to the British magazine, Oliver Heilmer, BMW’s head of design for compact cars and Neue Klasse models, described the Neue Klasse styling ethos as being “more a mindset rather than a design cookbook” with each model line sporting “strong, different characters”.

Key interior tech elements that made their debut in the iX3, i3 (above) and the 7 Series facelift, such as the rhomboid infotainment screen and full-width Panoramic iDrive display at the base of the windscreen, are likely to show up in the 1 Series and i1, with Joachim Post, BMW’s head of development, adding that BMW “can easily bring [those features] to every car”.

Spy photos show the upcoming Audi A2 EV will have a tall hatch/small people mover shape, and rumours indicate the next-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class will go down this route too.

Despite this, Autocar understands the 1 Series and i1 will stick with a traditional hatchback design. A five-door body is a given, but Mr Post left the door open for a three-door model too.

He said to “make a two-door, a three-door – that’s not an issue for a battery car” as it was easier to change dimensions and proportions on an EV-only platform.

MORE: Explore the BMW 1 Series showroom