2020 BMW 1 Series

[mustafur]

 

[MatskiMonk]

It's just a shame there's nothing really unique about it any more - it's basically Generic C-Segment Hatchback With BMW Badge. I'm sure it's marginally better on the bleeding edge of the limit than an A3 or A-class, but either subjectively or objectively there's not a huge lot it seems to do differently from those two.

M'eh, yeah maybe a shame, but I don't think loosing a USP in a market full of USP-less cars is such a big deal personally. It'll need to compete head to head with the rest of the market and BMW will either have done a good enough job, or they won't - same as the rest of the core 3/5/7/X1/X3/X5/X7 models.

 

[homeforsummer]

M'eh, yeah maybe a shame, but I don't think loosing a USP in a market full of USP-less cars is such a big deal personally. It'll need to compete head to head with the rest of the market and BMW will either have done a good enough job, or they won't - same as the rest of the core 3/5/7/X1/X3/X5/X7 models.

I'm not so sure about USP-less cars. I mean, the USP for the German stuff could just be the badge, though I suspect the current-gen A-class walks out the door on the strength of its interior/tech alone, which I'm not sure the BMW is quite on a level with (will be interesting to see how they sell relative to each other).

I get your point though. I just think it's concerning the lengths BMW will go to in order to aim for some intangible parity with the rest of the market. How many BMW characteristics can you remove before the reasons people buy into the brand in the first place no longer apply? Ditching rear-wheel drive, and styling it like a Korean car before the Koreans got wise and hired European designers don't exactly seem like the actions of a company too bothered about brand integrity.

I suppose I'm just interested to see how it all plays out. The car industry's in an interesting place at the moment, and I'm not sure some of BMW latest direction puts it in the best position to deal with it. It's losing sales to Mercedes, just ditched its CEO, and while van Hooydonk's studio has churned out some fantastic-looking concepts it seems rather less capable of following that through with production cars.

 

[mustafur]

Being "the better car for most people most of the time" isn't that embarrassing. Given how much of a hissy-fit the BMW community is having over the switch to FWD I might have expected every reviewer to proclaim this as the worst car ever made - whereas most of the reviews are generally positive about the car.

A Performance Version being slower then the last one is a bit Embarrassing(I would assume on a track it is probably faster though), Sure the new one is going to be the better daily driver, but it's not as special that is for sure.

 

[VXR]

and styling it like a Korean car before the Koreans got wise and hired European designers

How very true. Before it was close enough to identify, I thought the low slung red car coming towards me was the new Z4. It was in fact a Kia Stinger.

 

[homeforsummer]

How very true. Before it was close enough to identify, I thought the low slung red car coming towards me was the new Z4. It was in fact a Kia Stinger.

The Stinger's got some awkward details and angles, but overall I think it looks fantastic - long, low, wide and muscular. If you showed it to the average car fan from 20 years ago they'd not get the manufacturer right if you gave them 20 guesses. If you removed the kidneys it'd probably take the same guesswork to identify the new 1er as a BMW...

 

[JohnBM01]

I have always liked the BMW 1 Series. I often fancied the 1 Series coupe rather than the hatchback. This is still a plenty nice series. I love some of the more recent style directions of BMWs of late. However, I am still mostly impartial to late 1990s and early 2000s BMWs (and before Chris Bangle's design influences). The newer 1 Series cars are still pretty lovely to me.

 

[MatskiMonk]

... don't exactly seem like the actions of a company too bothered about brand integrity.

I think to weigh this decision up against everything else the brand does, and has, and conclude they're not bothered about brand integrity does them an injustice. Especially since in a number of respects that are relevant to the product and most buyers, it's better off for the decision.

I'm personally not a big fan of the styling either to be honest, but again, this isn't a unique issue for BMW, it seems to be very rare I find a new car from any brand better looking than the one it replaces. But, BMW is in the process of introducing different styling elements to some of the classic cues at the moment, it'll take a little while for them to become familiar.

 

[homeforsummer]

But, BMW is in the process of introducing different styling elements to some of the classic cues at the moment, it'll take a little while for them to become familiar.

Hmm. I think you're being too generous. BMWs have three instantly-recognisable classic cues that spring immediately to mind - the kidneys, the Hoffmeister kink, and a four-headlamp arrangement.

They've ditched the kink on several models recently, and the other cues have become so skewed in just one or two model generations that they're more of a caricature than they are a classic design cue. When you then ditch things like a car's fundamental proportions or something as simple as a consistent, level waistline, you're left with very little left that identifies it with a particular brand.

At least when Mercedes went down that path with the first few generations of A-class it was attempting to innovate. The new 1er is completely the opposite - it's trying to blend in. I've no doubt some of the recent BMWs will become familiar, but that doesn't mean the lasting impression will be worthwhile.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Hmm. I think you're being too generous. BMWs have three instantly-recognisable classic cues that spring immediately to mind - the kidneys, the Hoffmeister kink, and a four-headlamp arrangement.

They've ditched the kink on several models recently, and the other cues have become so skewed in just one or two model generations that they're more of a caricature than they are a classic design cue. When you then ditch things like a car's fundamental proportions or something as simple as a consistent, level waistline, you're left with very little left that identifies it with a particular brand.

I don't think it's generous, I think it's realistic. I agree those three design elements are important - along with others, but it's not like they've never successfully altered them or simply not had some of them on certain models, and it's not like they haven't evolved them over time. Sure sometimes they change something and it doesn't work, but then it gets evolved again. In the context of the current line-up it's not the best looking car, but it fits IMHO.