It’s quite unusual for a BMW model to skip a Life Cycle Impulse but the 1 Series (F40) will be one of them. By not getting the LCI treatment, it’s going to have a shorter shelf life since the compact hatchback will bow out in 2024 when it will have been just five years old. Codenamed F70, the next-generation model has already been spied multiple times, and this new video shows a non-M135i version judging by the lack of a quad exhaust setup.
The fully camouflaged prototype has been spotted near Munich in Germany, seemingly wearing the production body. It doesn’t have any visible exhaust tips, presumably because this is a lesser specification without the M Sport Package. That would make sense considering the wheels are on the small side. Despite the disguise, it’s easy to see BMW won’t be taking any risks with the design as the next 1 Series will have a conventional look.
It will be a long wait for the new 1er since reports state it’s not coming this year. Even though test vehicles have been caught by car paparazzi since 2022, it is believed BMW won’t start production of the F70 until July 2024. If the information is accurate, the world premiere could take place in roughly a year from now. Once again, the 1er will not be offered in the United States where small cars are not strong sellers, hence why Mercedes has axed the A-Class.
Upon launch, the 1 Series is rumored to come in four flavors: 118d, 120d, 118i, and the M135i xDrive with a revised B48 engine making over 300 horsepower. Additional versions are expected to arrive near the end of 2024, but details are not available at this point. Once again, the five-door hatch will spawn a 2 Series Gran Coupe, believed to go by the F74 codename, and land late next year.
Logic tells us these two entry-level models will receive the iDrive 9 from day one since BMW is already beginning to implement the new Android Automotive-running OS on the X1 crossover. It means their dashboards will be simplified by moving access to most functions within the touchscreen to echo the larger and more expensive models already featuring the side-by-side screen setup.
Source: DrGumoLunatic / YouTube
