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2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spotted Winter Testing

We’ve known for quite some time now that BMW is preparing to launch a sedan version of the 1 Series range but we’ve never seen it testing in the extremely cold weather of the Scandinavian peninsula up until now. Well, guess what? That’s right, our team of spy photographers caught up with it over there as well.
2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots 10 photos
Photo: CarPix
2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots2016 BMW F52 1 Series Sedan Spyshots
Planned to take on the Audi A3 Sedan and the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, the future F52 1 Series Sedan will have its work cut out to challenge them to a duel. However, there are a couple of tricks BMW could use to get ahead.

Both the A3 and the CLA are using front-wheel drive platforms underneath and both of them are priced similarly. To set itself apart, BMW could offer a rear-wheel drive model in this segment but that’s less than 1 percent likely.

That’s because the car is supposed to offer a decent amount of room inside and be extremely considerate to cost efficiency. That means it will be using the UKL platform like the 2 Series Active Tourer and the upcoming MINIs as well as the future X1.

The engines under the bonnet will also be shared with the aforementioned models and will vary from 1.5-liter 3-cylinder to 2-liter 4-cylinder plants in both petrol and diesel guises. With the new B family of engines sharing up to 40% of their parts in between them, you can imagine that they are cost-efficient to make.

Could reach US soil

As you might know, the current 1 Series range was kept out of the US for some unknown reason. Sure, the initial F20/F21 models were pretty ugly to look at but with the refreshed versions, the fans of hatchback BMWs in America are pretty disappointed they don’t have access to the only such offering from their favorite brand.

However, the 1 Series Sedan might show up in the US after all. It would do so to take the battle to Mercedes and Audi on their most profitable ground yet, and that also gives us some idea of its possible price tag.

That would be under the feared $30,000 price mark that everyone is trying to avoid with such entry level offerings, thus turning the 1 Series Sedan into BMW’s cheapest offering in the US.

The interior is pretty bland

In an earlier set of spyshots, of a model that seemed a bit further along development compared to the one seen here, we also had the chance to take a look at the interior of the future model.

Little was our surprise when we saw that it resembled the interior of the 2 Series Active Tourer quite a lot. After all, they are using the same platform but we expected BMW to try and distance itself from the stereotype that they have identical interiors on all of their cars.

The steering wheel is the same and so is the center stack, with an analogue instrument cluster in front of the driver. Expect iDrive to be offered as well with a touch sensitive controller.

As for a release date, BMW is still tight lipped and won’t say a word but we’re expecting the new 1 Series to come out somewhere in 2016.
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