All-new 2019 BMW 1 Series detailed

The smallest number of them all will be the next BMW to switch from rear- to front-drive when it’s unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt motor show.

While BMW’s Geneva motor show stand was all about plug-in hybrids, the Frankfurt version will focus on the (so far) ugly duckling of the family: the 1 Series hatch.

It will receive the most significant overhaul of its lifespan, switching from a shortened, narrowed version of the 3 Series architecture to the new FAAR platform. FAAR is a development of the UKL front-drive architecture that has underpinned all MINIs and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and Grand Tourer.

That means it will share its underpinnings with two existing models – the X1 and the Mini Countryman – with many more siblings set to follow from both BMW Group brands.

It won’t be the first front-drive 1 Series, though, because China has had one (in sedan form) for three years.

The high-strength steel structure saves space (a 1 Series bugbear ever since its 2004 launch) and manufacturing complexity and up to €700 per car in build cost, with the smallest BMW struggling to compete on even terms with Audi’s A3 and the goal-kicking Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

It may seem totally at odds with the BMW ethos, but its research has shown that buyers in the class aren’t interested in things like cornering prowess and driver involvement, but in cabin layout and real-world practicality.

The new architecture means the BMW can share a phenomenal percentage of its mechanical parts with Minis where once the competing layouts made it incompatible.