BMW 1 Series sedan may come to Australia

A report from US industry journal Automotive News earlier this week suggested the 1 Series sedan could be sold in that country by 2019, going against the indication given by the German company when it unveiled the front-wheel-drive sedan, a model that was designed to be built in China, for Chinese buyers.

But with competitor brands coming to the party with smaller saloon models, such as Audi with its A3 sedan and Mercedes-Benz with the company's first ever A-Class sedan, the pressure appears to be on the third big German luxury company to expand its offering to the global market.

Currently the BMW 1 Series range consists of a five-door hatchback only in Australia (there is a three-door hatch in Europe), and it is complemented by the 2 Series Coupe, Convertible and Active Tourer (MPV) models. A 1 Series sedan, then, would seemingly fill a gap, no matter how small.

BMW Australia general manager of corporate communications, Lenore Fletcher, said that while the initial plan was for Australia to miss out, that may change.

"The 1 Series sedan is not part of our planning for Australia at this point, although, as ever, anything is possible and it certainly may be considered at a later date," Fletcher said.

The 1 Series line-up is set to be updated shortly, along with the 2 Series and M2.

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