Why does the new generation of BMW 1 Series have to be front-wheel drive?

Are the BMW owners of 5 years ago the same group of people as today’s BMW owners? At the same time, for an entry-level hatchback, does the drive mode really matter?

Before writing this manuscript for the new generation 1 series, I have been thinking about these two questions. Many years ago, BMW brand models were improved products, but today, as luxury brands continue to lower consumption thresholds and upgrade consumption, BMW's entry-level models have become just-in-demand products for many young consumers, and even the most important part of their lives. First car. So, does this replacement of 1 Series models keep up with the changes in consumer groups and needs?

Putting aside our emotions and with the above considerations in mind, let’s take a rational look at the third-generation 1 Series. Only by becoming a mainstream model can it be competitive?

This time the new generation of 1 Series global models has changed from a "niche" to a "mainstream" product. The only way out for BMW is to give up persistence and follow the market.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the E46?3 series wanted to meet the needs of consumers who pursued pure driving pleasure through Compact models, but the response was dismal sales. Against this background, the first The Generation 1 Series was born. Although the second-generation F20?1 series inherited the rear-wheel drive form, the rear space and simple interior design that could not meet daily needs were still criticized. Eight years of persistence only resulted in global sales of 420,000 units. From the perspective of market acceptance, the rear-wheel drive format of this generation of products can only be said to be BMW's wishful thinking, and most consumers do not buy it.

From a market perspective, consumers’ main demands for the 1 Series may not be rear-wheel drive and fun. On the contrary, the transverse engine layout can optimize the cabin space and tail compartment space, while the modular front-drive platform can effectively reduce vehicle costs, followed by greater space and lower selling price.

In the new generation of 1 Series, we have seen several obvious changes. First, the interior design of the new car has been greatly improved in terms of technology and luxury compared to its predecessor, further narrowing the gap with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class; second, without significant changes in body size, the rear seats Compared with the previous model, the trunk space has been improved to a certain extent and has reached the mainstream level in the same class. The third point is that the technology and intelligent configurations in the car are advancing day by day. For example, the latest iDrive7.0 operating system, digital key, electronic parking, wireless charging, interior ambient lighting, and driving assistance systems are all present in new cars. .

As for how it drives? Whether it is the 118i or M135i model of the new 1 Series, in the evaluation content of overseas media, we can see such comments: "New cars born on the FAAR platform are less fun to control and less fun to control than the F20 model. There is some sense of communication between people and the car, but it is still a car with a better driving feel in its class, and its noise control is also considered to be excellent in its class." From the perspective of overseas models, driving fun is not a selling point, but it does not become a disadvantage.

However, the new generation 1 Series will still be equipped with the 1.5T three-cylinder engine that Chinese people are afraid of, while the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class are both equipped with four-cylinder engines. In addition, it can be seen on the official BMW website in the UK that an option package including electric seats, keyless entry and other configurations is priced at 1,500 pounds, and includes an option package with parking assist, adaptive high beams and wireless charging. The price is the same 1,500 pounds, and this "optional package feature" can also be seen on the new 3 Series in China. If we say that the service of "increasing the price to choose comfort and essential configurations" cannot be accepted by all consumers on luxury mid-level cars, let alone an entry-level hatchback.

Overall, the new generation 1 Series is more in line with market demand than its predecessor from any angle. Even if there are still "slots", we see that BMW has made a substantial compromise to the market. .

How to be competitive by reducing costs?

Traditional automobile companies are facing severe tests, and reducing costs is BMW’s top priority.

At present, the decline of traditional fuel vehicles is the main theme of the market. It is the trend of traditional car companies to increase their investment in new energy and intelligent fields. Correspondingly, their investment in the field of traditional fuel vehicles will also increase significantly. reduce. As early as 2017, BMW Group Chairman Kruger stated that BMW would transform from a car manufacturer to a luxury travel and service car service provider, and become a high-tech company.

On November 27, 2019, BMW Group’s cost reduction plan reached a compromise with the union. The company canceled its original plan to lay off 6,000 workers and changed it to reduce bonuses and benefits. substitute. BMW plans to save 12 billion euros by 2022 to invest in research and development of electrification transformation and autonomous driving.

Comprehensive platformization of vehicle models is one of the effective means to reduce costs. Starting from the current 7 Series, BMW's longitudinal engine structure has entered the CLAR platform era, and the corresponding models include the 3 Series, 5 Series, X3, X5, etc. Starting from the 2 Series station wagon, BMW has also begun to continuously expand the UKL front-wheel drive platform. The corresponding models include X1, X2 and MINI series.

The new generation of 1 Series is built on the FAAR platform derived from UKL. BMW said that the FAAR platform has more advantages in modularization and electrification than the UKL platform, and the former can support BMW. The fifth generation of electric drive technology focuses on derivatives of pure fuel, plug-in hybrid and pure electric models.

In addition, according to previous foreign media reports, Jaguar will use BMW's latest FAAR front-wheel drive platform to create a series of entry-level models in the future. The first model may be named A-Pace/B-Pace. Positioned as a compact coupe SUV. At the same time, Land Rover's next-generation Discovery Cruiser is also expected to be built on BMW's FAAR front-wheel drive platform, and introduce plug-in hybrid power or even pure electric drive. If FAAR can become the most shared platform between different brands in the future, it will further reduce the costs of R&D, procurement and manufacturing.

In terms of regulations, the EU requires that the average emissions of new cars sold in 2021 shall not exceed 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer traveled. If the standard is not met, the fine will be 95 euros per gram of carbon dioxide emissions multiplied by the number of cars sold that year. The total number of cars. From this perspective, only by using the FAAR platform to produce more hybrid or even pure electric versions of the 1 Series models in the future can BMW avoid or reduce the fines faced by the company. The author said?

The German "Mirror" reported on January 21, 2019: BMW and Mercedes-Benz will jointly develop and share autonomous driving technology in the future, as well as jointly purchase power batteries. Such news would have been unimaginable many years ago, just like consumers many years ago couldn't accept BMW's adoption of front-wheel drive.

However, no matter from the perspective of car series development or corporate development, the evolution of 1 Series models from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive is inevitable. In the future, we will also see more compromises in the market and limited by cost. of BMW models. At the same time, today, products such as the 1 Series, which are the first car in life for many consumers, are just in demand. The lower price, larger space and richer configurations are far more convincing than the rear-wheel drive model.

As for slogans such as "No rear-wheel drive, no BMW", they will always be forgotten by people over time, and even disappear after many years. In this confusing era, for luxury brand giants such as BMW, survival is far more important than "respectability".

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.