Confirmed: BMW planning at least one new small front-drive car

By Mark Kleis - Posted March 17th 2010

Less than a week ago Leftlane reported that a BMW chairman confirmed that the luxury automaker will be introducing a new front-wheel drive vehicle that will slot between the BMW 1-Series and MINI branded vehicles. Today, we can report that BMW’s CEO, Norbert Reithofer, confirmed the future of at least one front-wheel drive BMW.

BMW chairman and CEO, Norbert Reithofer, has now publicly confirmed the future of a new premium small car by the German automaker – this time wearing a BMW badge, slotting below below the current 1-Series and sporting front-wheel drive.

“There will be front-wheel-drive BMWs in the smaller vehicle classes in the future,” Reithofer said during a press conference today, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Reithofer went on to explain that BMW is aiming to increase its presence in the small-car market, increasing the presence of both BMW and MINI-branded vehicles. Reithofer added that BMW wants to “grow profitably in this segment.”

Reithofer explained during a recent interview that BMW’s research shows global demand for a premium small car, and BMW is looking to keep a tight hold on the market share that Audi’s new A1 is after. BMW created its MINI sub-brand in an effort to market smaller cars without tarnishing its luxury brand image, but now the automaker is more concerned with retaining market share and taking advantage of production efficiencies than maintaining its image as a large luxury car maker.

The next BMW – still unnamed, but confirmed to be front-wheel drive – will share many parts between both BMW and MINI – a move the automaker says will help it to realize economies of scale with its small vehicles. BMW research and development chief, Klaus Draeger, clarified that there will be joint architecture between front and all-wheel drive vehicles in order to reduce costs. Draeger suggested this new platform could come to market as early as 2014 branded under BMW or MINI – as well as potentially with other automakers with a technology sharing contract.

“We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small car segment with new models and variants,” said Reithofer.

BMW is also hard at work developing an all-new electric powered city car that will slot below both the 1-Series and MINI brand. Reithofe made sure to clarify that the new Megacity concept car that is due to hit the streets in 2012 will not cross paths with the new FWD BMW. The Megacity will be smaller than the MINI, and priced accordingly.

While details are largely still unconfirmed on BMW’s next small car, Autocar did confirm that it will share the front-wheel drive system from the next-generation MINI that is due to hit the market in 2014. With the introduction of the new Audi A1, however, BMW may rush the new car to market in order to retain their lead in the segment.

BMW also said that possible rear-wheel or all-wheel drive variations of the car aren’t totally out of the question, but they likely won’t be available at launch.

“We are looking at alternatives,” a Munich insider told Autocar. “With the new platform set to support four-wheel drive, it wouldn’t be that hard to use the transmission tunnel for a rear-wheel-drive application.”

References
1. ‘BMW expects profit boost…’ view
2. ‘BMW to go front-drive…’ view