The China exclusive new BMW 1 Series Sedan might make a few people jealous. The idea for a small premium car was floated with a concept at the Guangzhou Motor Show in 2015. It enters into the fastest growing car segment in China, and the BMW badge should help it to do very well.
The new BMW 1 Series Sedan will also be built entirely in China, and has been tested to handle the different road and climate conditions in the country. Apparently it’s also been fine-tuned to the habits of Chinese customers, but frustratingly BMW didn’t actually reveal what they were. Judging by other cars on sale in China, the best guess is increasing the cabin space and leg room.
BMW now produces five models in China, including the X1 and 2 Series Active Tourer, and it’s one of the three biggest markets for the brand. The combined sales figures for BMW and Mini in China last month were 42,425 cars delivered, which is almost half of the total for the whole of Europe, and sales are already higher than those in America.
So it looks like we might have to come to terms with BMW and other car manufacturers producing models solely for the Chinese market. Shame, because a small, sporty, rear-wheel drive BMW is never a bad thing, and a four door model helps to justify it on a practical level, too.
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