New BMW 1 Series won’t take on A 45 or RS 3

BMW has reiterated its intention not to compete with the likes of the Audi RS 3 and Mercedes-AMG A 45 with its first front/all-wheel drive BMW 1 Series hatchback range.

Instead, it will rely on its rear-wheel drive 2 Series Coupe flagship, the M2 Competition to take up the fight to its German rivals’ hottest hatches.

The third-generation BMW 1 Series will be produced with the choice of three diesel and two petrol engines, with the most powerful (225kW/450Nm) M135i variant aimed directly at the upcoming 225kW/400Nm Mercedes-AMG A 35 hatch and sedan, and the 213kW/380Nm Audi S3 hatch and sedan, which cost about $65,000.

“There is no power war,” declared BMW 1 Series Powertrain Project Manager, Christian Bock, at this week’s global launch. “The M135i offers a good relationship between customer expectation, driving performance, cost and adherence to future emissions regulations.”

When it arrives in Australia in October, the new BMW 1 Series line-up will comprise two petrol models, the front-wheel drive 118i (103kW/220Nm) and the all-wheel drive M135i xDrive, fitted with the most powerful four-cylinder engine BMW has yet produced.

There will be no six-cylinder replacement for the outgoing 250kW/500Nm M140i, which was priced at about $60,000, and no direct competitor for high-performance rivals from Audi Sport and Mercedes-AMG.

“We decided it was our intention to just be a competitor to the AMG A 35, and not the A 45, so that’s our target – and of course the power output is the same. So, the S3 and AMG 35 is our target now with the 1 Series,” Bock reiterated.

“Because we have the M2 Competition – which is a very powerful car in the compact segment – we see no reason at the moment for any more performance from the 1 Series. The take-up in that segment is only five per cent, so it’s not in the core of our target group to have such a really powerful hatch.”

It might be a two-door coupe, but the 302kW/550Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder M2 Competition (priced from $99,900) compares favourably against potential 1 Series ‘M’ competitors, including upcoming AWD hot hatches priced around $80,000 and delivering about 300kW — like the new A 45 hatch and sedan and next Audi RS 3.

But BMW’s powertrain head was quick to extol the other virtues of the new 1 Series performance flagship. The all-wheel drive M135i xDrive brings the obvious advantage of all-paw grip, but also packaging benefits its rear-wheel drive predecessor couldn’t match.

“To those who are unsure about the move to front and all-wheel drive, the first thing I would say is ‘try it out’. It’s sporty, it’s edgy – I mean, you can drift it, if you like. It’s joyful to drive. I think it’s better than the previous car.

“I think if you’re still sticking to rear-wheel drive in this segment then you are taking yourself too seriously,” Bock proffered.

Bock went on to discuss the benefits of BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system as they relate to the new M135i, saying a decision to rely upon a Torsen differential and electronics adapted from the BMW i3 electric car were key to delivering the kind of dynamism 1 Series buyers expect.

“We chose a 50/50 front/rear [torque] split as the maximum because it’s not necessary to have any more [drive to the rear wheels],” he said.

“We could have sent 60 per cent or even 70 per cent, but as you will notice you really don’t need that – in fact, in most normal driving situations we can send as much as 100 per cent [drive] to the front axle with no loss to handling performance.”

BMW Australia is yet to confirm pricing for the new 1 Series range, but says it will do so before sales commence in October. Visit carsales.com.au again this Wednesday (July 17) for our full review of the 2019 BMW 1 Series.