BMW minicar rendering

BMW minicar rendering

BMW could be working on a new model positioned below its compact 1-Series Hatchback.

The information was first reported by Motor.es, which also claims a reveal could take place as soon as the second half of 2017, which hints at a debut at that year’s Frankfurt Auto Show.

The new car would be about the size of the Mini Hardtop, whose front-wheel-drive UKL platform it would borrow, and the main target would be premium subcompacts such as Audi’s A1.

New model could be badged a 1-Series

In previous years there have been rumors of BMW launching an A1 rival, with the “0-Series” name even postulated. However, such a car is more likely to be named a 1-Series and the successor to the current 1-Series Hatchback moved over to the 2-Series family. Such a move would also mean BMW’s upcoming compact sedan ends up being badged a 2-Series.

Pictured above is a computer-generated rendering from several years ago that hinted what a BMW subcompact might look like. It suggests that any new BMW subcompact would likely be a hatch.

BMW, like most other major automakers, sees urban populations continuing to grow over the coming decades (more than half the globe’s population already lives in urban environments, according to the World Health Organization). It means smaller cars are likely to grow in popularity, even among luxury buyers, and no doubt BMW will want to be at the forefront of this continuing trend.

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