Confirm the “baby” BMW front wheel drive

BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer, during the press conference about the annual financial results of the brand, announced that the group is working on a novel architecture of front-wheel drive and integral which will be based on a new range of entry vehicle level.


The new platform will be used to realize both the third-generation Mini, which will arrive in 2014, that a range of BMW models in length between 3800 and 4300 mm, or from the supermini size typical of Golf. The whole will be more than twenty models based on the new platform. Reithofer sees the future of the brand, therefore the inclusion of front-wheel drive BMW models in the segment of small car.

Currently, all BMW models are rear-wheel drive and Reithofer has confirmed that the next generation of the BMW 1 Series will continue to be based on this scheme. The new platform will allow the BMW to gain substantial profits in the small car sector, increasing the catchment area.

Klaus Draeger, head of development at BMW, told the Financial Times that BMW could produce between 600 and 800 thousand front-wheel drive cars a year without the cooperation with other brands. For it is not yet certain whether the new platform will be shared with Peugeot-Citroen in which BMW has entered into a joint venture for the engines are concerned.

BMW has decided in this way to meet the growing demand for smaller cars and more fuel economy, also must comply with strict European standards on CO2 emissions which will come into force in 2012: the Group aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 2020 of at least 25 percent below 2008 levels. The entire fleet of new models will arrive at values of 117 g / km. Reithofer second segment of “small car premium will increase by 4-6 percent every year until 2020.