2007 BMW 1

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The small 1 Series hatch has been on sale in Europe for quite a while now, and still, nothing here.
They are waiting for the sedan and coupe version to be ready. (this is an illustration of what the coupe might look like).

And BMW has claimed they don’t want to sell any more 4 cylinder cars in the US.
But wouldn’t that make the 1 pretty expensive, even too close to the “real BMW’ 3 series?

It would have to be very close to $25 000 to make any sense over here.

Do you think they can pull it off? And would you actually buy one over, let’s say, a VW GTI, Acura TSX or an Audi A3???

Conversation 12 comments

  1. If it looks like that, BMW will have a hard time selling it in America. It did well with the 318ti and the MBZ C230 hatch filled that spot nicely. The real competition now is the A3 which AUDI scored a hit with. The TSX is not a real player in my books, although it is selling well. Any 1 series BMW hopes to sell in the US has to come one way: loaded and sporty, not to mention affordable, say between $25 and $30 large. It would behoove them to look to the A3 for direction. As for the MBZ C230…it is going down the tubes and fast. The Acura TSX will be here for a good while, it is a inexpensive alternative to the ubiquitous mid-size family sedans.

  2. As a 318ti owner I was very disappointed that BMW has made one stupid mistake after another in this market. The X3 is a flop. Z4, flop. The 5 isn’t doing as well as hoped. And they refuse to bring over a sporty practical hatch.

    I patiently awaited the 1 series hatch to repalce my 318ti and was even told “yeah it will be here next October” by a salesman a couple years ago.

    So, if you want a practical BMW, you either get to buy a rediculous X3 that rides like a buckboard mule and sits a foot higher off the ground than it should (anyone REALLY gonna go off road in that? no), and is considerably heavier than it needs be, or a 3 series wagon, too expensive as its AWD only.

    So, screw BMW. They lost me as a customer. And once the BMW fad wears off (it alrready is) they will have pissed off their core base of customers who appreciated fine motoring AND exceptionally efficient performance. Anyone remember when the great handling and fast as hell M3 had a high strung 4 cylinder? Now its gonna be a 400hp V8 and $60-70k?

    BMW has truly lost its way.

  3. Toyota Echo’s Rock. It only an illustration, but looks good for a compact car. The price would need to be under 20k for anyone to buy it in the US.

  4. To the BMW 318ti owner, I would like to know what you ended up getting to replace your car?
    Interesting to see where people go after BMW.

    And I couldn’t agree more about the X3.
    I will also add that it looks really cheap to me.
    Not worthy of an upscale brand at all.

    Friends in Europe tell me the 1 Series Hatch looks much better in reality that in the pictures…

  5. It’s pretty ugly in it’s hatchback form but I’d buy a sedan or coupe version tomorrow. I like hatchback cars but this one is a flop.

    As for the powertrain, why not market an older version of their inline 6 without the latest technological advances?

  6. god that’s hideous, they’ve taken a good looking hatchback and turned it into a hyundai accent. the 1-series has RWD has its unique selling point, but this just kills the interior room and ups the weight and cost. it has nothing to offer in the face of an A3.

  7. This car has the worst proportion, and BMW’s design is all about good proportion.

    But you know what, I think 1 series will sell in the U.S. The 3-series has gone so upmarket that it’s no longer affordable as it used to be.

    But it’s just so hideous… they can probably do a lot better if they fixed up that ugly shark face.

  8. i like the 1 series, the hatchback that is, the notchback doesnt look like it is shaped right with the lines, but bmw is probably afraid to bring the hatch over because of the memories of ti, which to me i thought was a cool car. as far as the tsx, and the rest of the competitors i would totally consider it against those, with the gli, being the top comp for me, a short honda accord with the same interior and a 4 cylinder and same boring styling just isnt cool to me, its a pretend luxury car (but a nice car, just very far from what i would ever want, or think of as a luxury car)

  9. Sure it’s an artists conception, but good lordy — it is indeed an Accent. Why even bother? BMWs are excellent cars despite their troubles here and there but this…this is a waste of resources, just like the 318 was. I am going into a coma now; wake me when the car is gone.

  10. I was in Hong Kong over the weekend and saw the 130. A 4 door hatchback with 250Hp I6 engine.

    This car would rock.

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