BMW’s 1 Series saloon thrives in Shanghai, exclusively for fresh Chinese graduates
BMW has built a 1 Series saloon for China’s fresh college graduates. The nation’s rich kids should love it
Audi has traditionally held the premium crown in China, thanks to its early entry into the market. However, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been rapidly catching up with sales over the past few years. Audi has also reportedly had a dispute with some of its dealers, so BMW hopes that it can take over the Four Rings’ mantle with a string of new locally produced models.
As such, the 1 Series saloon is a key model. China-only models are not a new phenomenon; they have been done by mainstream manufacturers, most notably Buick, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Honda, for some years. However, up to now, premium-brand dabbling was confined to lengthening existing models. Acura was the first to change this with the CDX last year, and BMW is the first of Germany’s Big Three marques to produce such a car.
The 1 Series saloon is “manufactured as part of the joint venture between the BMW Group and BMW Brilliance Automotive at the Tiexi plant opened in 2012”, the marque says.
So, let’s get the name issue over with first. The China-only 1 Series saloon bears no relationship to the hatchback with the same name, and perhaps should be called the “2 Series” as it shares its platform and drivetrains with the 2 Series Active Tourer, which is also locally produced. As such, it is the first front-wheel-drive saloon produced by BMW. It is, however, no cynical compromise and still a driver-centred performance-orientated vehicle.
