Should it return to India, the BMW 1 Series will do so after eight years.
Recently BMW registered two design patents in India for the Skytop roadster and the new 1 Series. Although the updated 2 Series Gran Coupe is likely to hit India this year, this is the first time the 1 Series hatchback and Skytop roadster seem to be on the agenda for our market.
- Sleeker front end and 20-inch curved display for fourth-generation BMW 1 Series
- The BMW Skytop is a limited-run 8 Series-based bespoke roadster.
Revealed in June last year, the fourth-generation 1 Series is virtually the third-generation model (which was revealed in 2019, barely five years ago) since the fundamental underpinnings remain the same. Still, the hatchback does have a completely fresh nose. The headlight units are thinner, and the tooth-like kidney grille observed on its predecessor has been replaced with one more like the one seen on the recently revised 3 Series. From the front at least, the new 1 Series seems sler and more angular than the departing mode. Along the sides and at the rear, there are little alterations, including fresh tail lights and a rear bumper. The M Sport variant naturally has a more aggressive style than the regular model.
Inside, the 1 Series has BMW’s 20-inch Curved Display, under brand OS 9 control, which combines the 10.7-inch digital instrument display with the 10.3-inch infotainment system. The circular iDrive controller found on the previous model is gone, and the infotainment now incorporates even controls for the AC, therefore drastically reducing the number of physical buttons.
BMW provides a wide range of 48V mild-hybrid models in foreign markets, including petrol and diesel engines. While the diesel line comprises the 150hp 118d and the 1 Series petrol range offers 170hp 120 and the 300hp M135 xDrive trims (petrol models no longer bear the ‘i’ suffix).
Compared to the M135 trim, the regular 1 Series seems far less athletic. Fascinatingly, BMW India did have the second-generation 1 Series on sale in India, but sluggish sales caused it to be dropped back in 2017. The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive hatchback of the period had 2.0-litre diesel engine choices and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol. Should BMW decide to introduce the new 1 Series to India, it will be the hatchback’s comeback to our market following eight years.
Originally hinted at by the BMW Concept Skytop in May 2024, the German manufacturer said in October that even with just a 50-unit run, the Skytop roadster would go into production Although BMW has not yet shown images of the production vehicle, the convertible will follow the Z8-inspired design idea and the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Based on the current 8 Series, the Skytop roadster keeps BMW’s classic kidney grille with two separate lighted sections and horizontal slats.
Showing great vents on the bonnet and ultra-thin LED headlamps, the design patent appears to be conceptually based. On the boot, a unique central divider runs up into a tiny ducktail spoiler, complementing the one on the bonnet. The inside is swaddled in brown leather and features the newest generation of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, a digital driver’s display, a familiar shifter for the automatic transmission, and a conventional multifunction steering wheel.