BMW revealed the 1-Series at the end of May and the German auto-manufacturer has started off with the production of the latest generation hatchback which will rival the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The new revamped 1-Series has given up in the rear-wheel drive setup and now comes with a front-wheel drive.
The 1-Series hatchback will be made at the company’s Leipzig plant in Germany, alongside the 2-Series Coupe & Convertible, M2 Competition and the 2-Series Active Tourer minivan. Other models that are built at the Leipzig facility include the i3 all-electric, hybrid i8 Coupe and i8 Roadster. In all, the Leipzig plant has a capacity to manufacture 1000 units per day.
BMW is planning to up the daily production of its 1-Series to 600 units per day and the first car assembled was an entry-level 118i with the optional sports package, finished in Blue. The model will not be limited for production at the Leipzig factory and the brand plans to also assemble the 1-Series at their Regensburg facility from November 2019. The Leipzig factory will also start production on the 2-Series Gran Coupe which is the sedan version of the 1-Series hatchback and the 2-Series Gran Coupe will compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLA in the United States.
The 2020 BMW 1-Series SE model features full LED headlights and taillights, Automatic Climate Control Air-conditioning, Keyless Entry and Go, BMW Navigation with Real-Time Traffic Information, Rain sensors with automatic headlight activation, Split folding rear seats (60:40), Front and Rear Park Distance Control (PDC), Apple CarPlay, Cruise control with braking function, automatically dimming rearview mirror, etc.
The 2020 BMW 1-Series will come in three variants starting with the entry-level SE model, the mid-spec Sport and the range-topping M Sport. It is also speculated that the brand is likely to introduce the performance-oriented M135i xDrive with the output of nearly 400 HP to rival the recently introduced Mercedes-AMG A45 and A45 S.
