A luxury hatchback is a rarity in the Indian market with the only notable mention being the Mini Cooper and Mercedes-Benz AMG A45 which leans more towards performance than comfort. BMW may bring one to the Indian market soon as the German marque has filed a patent for the 1 Series hatchback.
While a mere patent application doesn’t guarantee a market launch, it does however reveal the Bavarian carmaker’s intention of bringing this model to India. It won’t be the first time that BMW will launch the 1 Series in India. The second-gen model of the entry-level premium hatch was previously on sale in the country until it was discontinued eight years ago due to poor sales.
In its fourth generation now which made its global debut last year, the current 1 Series is an evolutionary upgrade over the third-gen model which broke cover in 2019. While underneath the fourth-gen 1 Series shares the same underpinnings as its predecessor, the former receives some notable design updates.
BMW 1 Series: Design, Features & Specs
For starters, the fourth-gen 1 Series gets an all-new face with the tooth-like kidney grille replaced with a unit that looks similar to the recently updated 3 Series sedan. The new grille is flanked by sleeker and more angular LED headlights. At the rear, it gets revised LED taillamps and a reprofiled bumper. The India-spec model could also benefit with the M-Sport package that adds a bit of flair to its overall styling.
Inside the cabin, the new 1 Series gets a 20.9-inch twin-screen display comprising a 10.7-inch digital instrument panel and a 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system which runs on BMW’s latest OS 9 software. The overall layout of the dashboard is minimalistic with very few physical buttons on offer. The circular iDrive controller on the centre console has been given a miss.
Internationally, BMW offers multiple engine options with the fourth-gen 1 Series including both petrol and diesel powertrain, all of them assisted by a 48V mild-hybrid setup. The standard 118 variant which is expected to come to India is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine which churns out 168 bhp while the base diesel trim gets a 1.5-litre oil burner which punches out 148 bhp.
