China: BMW compact sedan concept revealed!

At the 2015 Guangzhou motor show, BMW has taken the wraps of their compact sedan concept, giving us a preview of the 1-Series sedan or 2-Series sedan. With the production car, BMW will hope to take advantage of the rising demand for premium compact cars. The premium compact sedan space has already seen rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz launch the A3 sedan and CLA-Class.

Models like the 1-Series sedan will be targeting younger buyers, and thus, the concept car features a sporty and aggressive design language. Up front we see the signature BMW kidney grille, LED headlights, a low set fascia to make the bonnet appear longer, while the front bumper gets some edgy styling with the body coloured outline framing the black slats on the intakes.

The side profile is sculpted by multiple character lines in addition to the Hofmeister kink at the rear door. BMW says the liquid metal bronze paint shade of the concept has pigments that shift between light and dark depending on the light intensity and direction. Flared wheel arches sit over 20-inch, double spoke design wheels. The sloping roofline drops down to connect with the beefed up boot lip at the rear. A large chrome insert and slim fog lamps cut the bulk in the rear bumper with L-shaped LEDs in the tail lights.

On the inside, the dashboard has a driver centric design and the cabin features a heads-up display, a panoramic sunroof, an 8.8-inch infotainment display, nappa leather upholstery, open-pored wood trim, with brushed aluminium touches as well. The rear seat is a bench, but has been designed to seat only two. 

Specifications have yet to be revealed, but the UKL platform based sedan is likely to get a series of 3 and 4-cylinder engines with the car being offered as a front wheel or all-wheel drive model.