BMW Concept Compact Sedan Looks Ready to Battle the Mercedes CLA

BMW appears closer to releasing a competitor to the Mercedes-Benz CLA and Audi A3. The BMW Concept Compact Sedan, recently unveiled at this week’s Guangzhou auto show in China, will likely make it to production as a 1 Series or possibly a 2 Series.

BMW doesn’t mention if the concept rides on a front- or rear-drive platform, but its relatively long front overhang and overall proportions similar to the CLA and A3 suggest it’s the former. Front-drive, premium compacts are all the rage right now and BMW is simply following the money.

That means the concept is probably based on BMW Group’s UKL platform used for front- or all-wheel drive setups. The platform currently underpins a number of Mini models and the new 2016 BMW X1 crossover. No powertrain info was provided, but the eventual production car will likely host a number of forced-inducted inline-fours, and possibly an all-electric system.

BMW says it developed and design the Concept Compact Sedan for young Chinese buyers. That said, there’s no reason why the sedan won’t be a global player. The concept has all the signature BMW design cues including a Hofmeister kink and double-kidney grille, and overall the sedan looks pretty sharp. The interior looks near production-ready, with a relatively simple dashboard layout, a wide 8.8-inch iDrive screen, and bright orange accents.  If BMW does indeed plan to make this a global car, then we can expect to see it at future auto shows like Detroit or possibly CES in Vegas.

Source: BMW

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