As BMW is getting closer to launching the second generation of the 1-Series, more and more scantily disguised prototypes are being spotted out testing. These latest scoop pictures afford us our clearest view yet of the five-door hatchback version, not only because BMW has reduced the amount of swirly sheeting but also due to the fact that the cars appear to be final prototypes with production headlamps and tail lights.
As you can see, the Bavarian automaker sticks with the tradition of keeping a design for two generations before radically changing the styling. This means the next 1-Series hatchback takes an evolutionary styling step keeping the basic shape of the current model. Beneath the sheetmetal, there will be significant changes in the engine lineup with the introduction of a hybrid powertrain as well as BMW’s new generation of turbocharged gasoline units.
Details remain limited for now, but it is possible that the new 1-Series will be offered with both the upcoming three- and four-cylinder engines with TwinPower Turbo technology, which combines twin-scroll turbocharging, direct gasoline injection and a fully variable Valvetronic valve management system.
The first application of BMW’s turbo-tech on a small displacement gasoline engine is the 2.0-liter four-cylinder N20 powerplant on the X1 crossover with an output of 245-horsepower at 5,000 rpm and a peak torque of 350Nm or 258 lb-ft, available at just 1,250 rpm
It is believed that BMW will introduce both the three- and five-door hatchback versions of the new 1-Series at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, with the Coupe and Convertible models to follow in late 2012 or early 2013.
