MUNICH/GUANGZHOU: BMW unveiled the BMW Concept Compact Sedan at Auto Guangzhou in a foretaste of what the next 1 Series could look like.
The concept combines roominess in a compact body, sporty driving and the elegance of larger BMW sedans.
BMW decided on a China reveal as it sees its youth as a major market for the premium compact car. While China will be the main market for this car, there's nothing to stop BMW from making it available to other Asian markets, Europe and North America if the Munich car maker is convinced the demand is there. This model will allow more people to own a luxury performance car at a more accessible price, and that includes everyone across the planet.
The new compact sedan will compete with the Audi A3 Sedan and the Mercedes-Benz CLA, both of which have been selling well and are cash cows for their respective car makers.
The concept's compact exterior creates a familiar sedan silhouette based around a three-box design.
Its sweeping bonnet and long wheelbase stretch the car visually, while the slightly set-back greenhouse further underlines its sporting nature.
The use of traditional BMW elements, such as a long, prominent swage line, the Hofmeister kink and surfaces moulded with depth, ensures the car cuts an athletic figure from the side and highlights its relationship with other BMW vehicles.
The four doors are integrated into its proportions and allow easy entry for the driver and all passengers. Soft-touch handles below the swage line open the doors as soon as a finger touches their metal surface.
The concept introduces a special paint colour called Liquid Metal Bronze, which makes the surfaces look like cast metal.
The pigments in the paint shift between light and dark depending on the light angle, showcasing the car’s attention-grabbing design language.
The window surrounds and the weather strip-style exterior mirror stalks are in polished aluminium, while the exclusive 20-inch light-alloy wheels form a visual highlight with their bi-colour design.
The designers have emphasised the width of the slim front end and ensured it picks up the sporting baton from the car’s flanks. The familiar form of the kidneys and their size convey the car’s character: the hexagonal “sawn-off” twin circular LED headlights on either side point inwards towards the kidney grille, creating a visual link between the kidneys and headlights that lends the car a purposeful look.
The V-shaped central air intake is the starting point for a design theme which splits the lower section of the front end into three sections and gives it a broader appearance. Surfaces merging into one another and stacked in different layers, and the interplay of those levels, lend depth and dynamism to the design.
Like the front end, the horizontally structured rear shows off lateral lines and an interplay of horizontal light and shadowed surfaces to accentuate the width of the rear end and at the same time make the car look lower.
The slim, elongated string of rear lights, with their prominent L shape, take this process a step further. An LED light element in the shape of an “L” inside the lights makes the characteristic light contours visible at night as well.
The cockpit was created to be driver-focused: all the lines, forms and controls are geared towards the person behind the wheel. This is highlighted by the prominent lines that converge in the direction of travel either side of the steering wheel. The resultant “cone of vision” tapers into a Head-Up Display with combiner screen, which projects all the relevant information into the driver’s direct view.
Elongated horizontal lines and surfaces create a feeling of space. The instrument panel on the front passenger side extends into the doors in a sweeping movement, creating an inviting ambience for passengers.
Nappa leather, open-pored wood and brushed aluminium form an attractive mix of materials spreading across the whole of the instrument panel, whose leather-covered top surface with contrast stitching is a feature normally found in more expensive sedans.
The doors’ design picks up the instrument panel’s horizontal lines and extends them into the flanks of the car in a wide arc.
BMW said the cabin offers a generous level of space and openness for a car in this class, even for the two rear passengers.
Mechanical operating elements are also ergonomically designed effect – such as the climate system controls, gearshift lever and iDrive system. All the other functions on the steering wheel, centre stack, centre console and door openers are operated using backlit touch-sensitive surfaces.
A “combiner” Head-Up Display and 8.8-inch screen in the central information display contain all the information required at any one time.
Adding to the airiness is a panoramic roof, which extends a long way back, ensuring the second row of seats is likewise bathed in a light.
BMW did not mention about the power train but the production model, which will use the UKL platform, is envisaged to be powered by 3- and 4-cylinder engines in front-wheel drive configuration while more powerful variants could be all-wheel drive.
