The next-generation BMW 1 Series will arrive in 2028 with both electric and hybrid powertrains and a focus on winning over younger buyers in key markets across Europe.
Described by BMW's compact-car design boss Oliver Heilmer as one of the "main pillars of the brand", the current entry-level hatchback is offered only with combustion engines. But for the fourth generation the addition of an electric version which, as with the new 3 Series and 13, will sit on a bespoke platform but share styling and branding with the ICE variants - will give the firm a crucial rival to the likes of the forthcoming Mercedes A-Class and Audi A2 E-tron.
While the A-Class and A2 are set to adopt a mini-MPV look, the next-gen 1 Series will stay true to its hatchback form while taking on the cues of the Neue Klasse design language first seen on the iX3 SUV and i3 saloon.
The new model is due in 2028, four years after the current car's major update and in alignment with BMW's plan to complete its Neue Klasse rollout within the next two and a half years.
Many manufacturers have moved away from entry-level cars to focus on larger, more profitable models, but BMW views the 1 Series as an important part of its business, despite buyers pushing towards SUVs and crossovers. It sold nearly 200,000 units globally last year, and product boss Bernd Körber has previously told Autocar that there is still a need for a 1 Series hatch in the line-up.
He said the 1 Series remained a big seller in key markets such as Italy and France, adding: "If you want to be a global player, you have to take care of markets where the share of 1 Series is extremely high."
Körber also said the model broadens the brand's target market, especially with younger buyers: "If you want to keep the brand young, if you want to develop customers within your portfolio, the 1 Series is very important."
Radical reinvention
The design of the 1 Series will be revised significantly for its fourth generation in line with the manufacturer's Neue Klasse reinvention. However, while featuring some overarching themes, the specific design of each Neue Klasse model will remain unique.
"The Neue Klasse form language doesn't set boundaries," explained Heilmer. "It doesn't mean just that curvature on a polyline; it's more a mindset rather than a design cookbook.
"One important aspect behind the Neue Klasse mindset is having strong different characters [for each model line], so you can expect something entirely different in other models based on the same [platform].
"Do you just replicate what you have in the IX3 and replicate them to other cars? The answer is no. Let's make them more emotional and create different characters."
Asked if this meant the team had been able to work from a clean sheet for the new 1 Series, Heilmer said "not in that sense", but added "you always have to be open".
Instead, a "pretty important" differentiator between the model lines will be their respective kidney grilles, silhouettes, and surface treatments, said Heilmer. "BMW always stood for that differentiation. We never did a small series that looked like a shrunken 7 Series. So this is the openness we want to keep in order really to enhance each specific character. And this is so exciting to me."
