Next BMW 1 Series officially undiguised

New images of the next-generation BMW 1 Series have been teased online ahead of its launch on May 27 at a VIP event.

The first official glimpse of the third-generation BMW 1 Series without camouflage follows on from a recent leak of an undisguised image of the flagship M135i xDrive online.

Looking virtually indistinguishable from the earlier leaked image, it's now clear how German car-maker will evolve the BMW 1 Series from its previous iteration.

This includes the all-new Golf rival's larger take on the brand's trademark kidney grille, more muscular bonnet creases and a pair of completely redesigned headlights that get C-shaped LED light signatures.

We already know from the earlier fully undisguised image that the M135i's snout will also feature a large, near-full length air-intake flanked by a pair of air blades that are just visible in the new picture.

It's thought these are necessary for both thermal and air management which should ensure the fastest 1 Series gets some trick aero in its pursuit of eclipsing cars like the Volkswagen Golf R.

Beneath the skin, the BMW 1 Series makes the switch to the front/all-wheel drive FAAR architecture that has been developed off the MINI UKL platform.

That the means standard 1 Series models will be front-drive, although the powerful M135i pictured gets traction-boosting all-wheel drive.

As well as dropping its rear-drive layout, enthusiasts are also set to lament the next M135i losing the inline turbo-six of the outgoing M140i for a more common turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

Rumoured to use the same engine that powers the X2 M35i, the BMW hot hatch will produce around 225kW and 450Nm of torque.

Luckily, with a weight saving of more than 20kg, on average, performance will remain a strong point with the replacement of the M140i.

Expect a sprint around two-tenths quicker than the already-rapid 4.6 seconds it takes the current M140i to dash to 100km/h and an identical 250km/h limited top speed.

But in more bad news for hot hatch fans, a six-speed manual gearbox isn’t expected to be an option, with buyers to be offered only an Aisin-sourced eight-speed automatic.

For customers of non-M versions of the new BMW 1 Series, there will be the choice of three- and four-cylinder engines that will kick off with the small 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo that musters around 105kW.

Set to be combined with either a manual transmission or a new seven-speed dual-clutch auto, the next-gen BMW 1 Series should be significantly more efficient than the current car.

Speaking of efficiency, the small German hatch will also be offered with a plug-in hybrid for the first time. Combining the small 1.5-litre with an electric motor and a small battery, the electrified 1 Series should be capable of averaging 2.8L/100km while emitting less than 50g/km of CO2.

Already spotted testing in Europe, BMW is claiming big advances in front-drive chassis dynamics for the M135i, in part thanks to ‘actuator contiguous wheel slip limitation’, or ARB, which will be standard across the 1 Series range and was first seen in the BMW i3s.

Effectively a traction control system fitted within the ECU unit rather than the electronic stability control unit, BMW says ARB improves traction “while facilitating significantly more sensitive and faster control” because it “passes on information three times faster, which translates to up to 10 times faster regulation speed perceived by the driver”.

BMW says the result is reduced power understeer, as seen in most front-drive vehicles, “but without control intervention to stabilise lateral dynamics”, thanks also to BMW Performance Control — a brake intervention-based yaw moment distribution system that will also be standard.

Inside, an image of an engineer unwrapping the dashboard's shrouds shows off a full digital gauge cluster that looks like it will be fully configurable.

The move to a front-drive platform will liberate more rear legroom inside the BMW 1 Series, with owners also benefitting from more luggage space compared to the current car.

Set to be revealed on May 27, the BMW 1 Series will make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.