Three-door 1 Series launched but not for Oz

BMW has launched a three-door version of its 1 Series hatch. Available in a range of engine configurations and incorporating a raft of new fuel-saving technologies, including Automatic Start-Stop on most manual models, the compact new Beemers will be onsale in Europe in the next few months. But not Australia...

Indeed, BMW Australia has taken the decision to continue with a five-door-only 1 Series range. According to spokesperson, Toni Andreevski, the three-door hatch is not part of the product plan for Australia.

"We looked very hard at the three-door hatch, but we will not be adding it to our local offering," Andreevski told CarPoint.

"The 1 Series is the top-selling over-$40,000 small car and commands over 25 per cent of that marketplace locally," he said. "We've done our sums and we don't believe the three-door would deliver enough incremental volume to justify a business case for the car."

Andreevski said the decision did not reflect a concern that a three-door 1 Series would cannibalise MINI sales. The MINI is the second biggest selling premium small car Down Under.

"It's not a case of affecting MINI sales -- customer feedback tells us that MINI buyers are a different customer group," he said. According to Andreevski, the five-door 1 Series hatch "better satisfies the needs of the local market."

However, what BMW Oz is not saying is that it is, in fact, waiting for the long-rumoured 1 Series coupe and cabriolet to arrive and extend the entry-level line-up.

Already caught by spy photographers in testing, the baby Beemer coupe is expected to arrive Down Under in 2008, with the cabriolet to follow some time in the 12 months that follow.

With the inevitable move of the 3 Series range upmarket in terms of size, price and positioning, there now exists room for a 1 Series based sports coupe and soft top. Pricing would likely be in the $50-75K range -- underneath the 3 Series two-doors which now tops the $100K mark in their top variants.

BMW sources liken the yet-to-be-released two-door 1 Series models in size and positioning to the second generation E30 3 Series -- arguably the model line up that cemented the 3 Series as the world's premium small car range in the early 1980s.

That said, Aussie 1 Series buyers will benefit from many of the changes introduced with the new three-door 1 Series when mid-life update versions of the five-door arrive Down Under in the middle of 2007.

The changes include exterior tweaks that are said to play up the 'muscularity' of the 1's design and an interior makeover which will include better in-cabin storage. As has been the case in the recent X3 and 5 Series updates, the 'new' 1 Series cabin is said to be 'softer' and more luxurious.

Also as per the 5 Series, the Aussie 1 Series update will not benefit from BMW's latest High Precision Injection Engines due to local petrol quality issues. Performance and fuel consumption enhancements will centre on revised automatic transmissions and there will be a second-generation diesel powerplant with more power and torque.

The new three-door hatch version of the 1 Series debuts BMW's Brake Energy Regeneration (iGR) system. The system uses an Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) and an Absorbent Glass Mat battery to harness the energy generated by the engine on over-run (under braking or descending a hill). The energy is used to charge the car's electrical system allow the IAC to only 'take' power from the engine to charge the battery when required.

Manual transmission European 1 Series models (excepting the hotshoe 130i) also feature a new Automatic Start-Stop function. The system automatically switches the engine off when the driver puts the car in neutral when stationary. The engine automatically restarts when the clutch is engaged. BMW says this feature can yield substantial fuel savings.

Australian delivery 1 Series will not get the IAC, iGR or Auto Start-Stop functionality.