The current BMW 1 Series has had a tough road ahead from the get go. But BMW likely knew this when they decided to leave behind the rear-wheel drive architecture. To a lot of people, the move to the UKL platform was seen as a departure from the typical driving characteristics of a BMW. Yet, the car managed to impress a lot of us.
At the same time, BMW wanted to offer a car that was up to par with the latest technologies, offered more practicality and room, and was cheaper to run than before. All of that was done to make sure the car remains competitive in the field, not because some accountant wanted to cut costs. Sure, we all loved the only rear-wheel drive hot hatch in the world, the M140i, but the truth of the matter is, few people actually bought the top spec model.
For the vast majority of people, the 1 Series they had on the driveway was powered by a 2-liter petrol or diesel engine and driven as company cars most of the time. For those people, the lack of features and space inside was a great downside and since BMW solved that issue, they can now buy the new model. And that’s what the guys from LoveCars are saying in their own take on the M135i xDrive you can watch below.
The harsh truth hides in the sales sheets though. BMW is still a private company and needs to be profitable so that it can still make cars like the M5 or M2. In order for that to happen, some unpopular decisions need to be made. Fortunately, they seem to have made the right decision as the BMW 1 Series was the best-selling car in Germany so far this year, proving that the Bavarians delivered exactly what the customers have been asking for.
