In a sea of SUVs, it’s easy to forget that BMW used to sell a three-door hatchback. It died roughly five years ago when production of the second-generation 1 Series ended. The F21 was the last of the breed. Official design sketches of the fourth-gen 1er show the less practical, but arguably better-looking body style.
Granted, a car almost always is nicer in a sketch supplied by an automaker than in real life. Its design is deliberately exaggerated as it typically features more aggressive lines and oversized wheels. The real thing has to comply with crash and safety regulations, which typically limit the freedom a designer has when drawing up a new model. That holds true in the case of the F70 and it’s interesting BMW thought about getting rid of the rear doors.
This hypothetical F71 looks great but won’t make it to production. People typically prefer the extra convenience of having rear doors. That’s why cars like the three-door Audi S3 and Volkswagen Golf R are also gone. Although BMW labels the 2025 1 Series as an “all-new” model with a different internal codename, the F70 is essentially an overhauled F40. The latter didn’t have a three-door body style, so it comes as no surprise the latest 1er keeps the five-door-only formula intact.
Another body style unlikely to return is the four-door model. The previous-generation 1 Series was sold as a sedan in China and Mexico with the F52 designation. Its indirect replacement is expected to be a stretched variant of the next-generation 2 Series Gran Coupe (F74). It’ll likely be known internally as the F78 and could be a China-only affair.
The good old days of the 1 Series Coupe and Convertible are long gone as well. Because customer preferences have changed, BMW prioritizes a multitude of crossovers and SUVs. To be fair, it still caters to the sedan and wagon crowds while offering several convertibles, so it’s not all that bad.
Source: BMW
