If you subscribe to BMW’s social media channels, you likely spotted a new Reel teasing a brand new BMW 1 Series. The short promotional video starts out with animated text and images of past 1 Series models, ending with a few backlit silhouettes of the pending model.
The compact 1 Series was originally introduced in 2004 as a replacement for the 3 Series compact as a new entry-level vehicle for the European market. The five-door hatchback wasn’t made available in the U.S., but a version of the 1 did finally make it across the pond in 2008. While details about this new version of the 1, codenamed F70, are still scarce, some news blogs have extrapolated likely features based on current models and various hints BMW has been dropping.
According to BMW Blog, the new 1 is likely to have an engine capable of more than 300 hp, “The M135’s B48 engine will breathe through a quad exhaust system, setting it apart in terms of performance and aesthetics.”
And according to MotorAuthority, this model will likely be the first internal-combustion model to drop the “i” at the end of the model name, helping better distinguish the newer “i” labeled electric vehicles from the older gas-powered models that sported the letter.
Not a ton of details can be determined from the teaser, but comparisons to the current model show a bit sleeker look to the exterior. While the comparison photos we put together hint as slightly different lengths, the different conditions in which the photos were taken could account for that difference. However some of the details of the headlights and general lines of the design do show some difference.
Reports indicate that both the new 1 series and the new M135 will be released soon, though details of which versions will come to the U.S. also remain obscured.
View the full teaser here on BMW’s Instagram page.