BMW i1 2028: rear-wheel drive, Neue Klasse platform and expected trim lineup

© A. Krivonosov

Rear-wheel drive could return to BMW's compact lineup in 2028 — only this time without a combustion engine. According to French outlet L’Argus, BMW is developing an electric hatchback called the i1, internally coded NB0. It will be sold alongside the current combustion BMW 1 Series (F70), not replace it.

The difference between the two cars runs deeper than the powertrain. The combustion 1 Series is built on the front-wheel-drive UKL platform, while the i1 is said to use the Neue Klasse architecture. BMW hasn’t confirmed the project itself, but the official description of its sixth-generation eDrive technology explains why a rear-wheel-drive layout is plausible: the main synchronous electric motor sits at the rear, while a compact asynchronous motor on the front axle is used only in all-wheel-drive xDrive versions.

According to early reports, the BMW i1 lineup would open with single-motor, rear-wheel-drive 20 and 30 versions. Above them would sit dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 30 xDrive and M50 xDrive variants. A separate project, coded ZB0, is reportedly in the works at BMW Motorsport: it could be badged i1 M or iM1.

As a technical benchmark, reports point to the powertrain of the BMW i3 50 xDrive, rated at 469 hp and 645 Nm of torque. However, those figures can’t be carried over to the compact i1 just yet. The production BMW i3, with up to 912 km of range, only demonstrates what Neue Klasse is capable of, including an 800-volt system and 400 kW charging. Full electric M models, meanwhile, are being developed separately — up to a four-motor setup with independent wheel control.

Dimensions, battery capacity, range and pricing for the BMW i1 remain unknown. Likely rivals are named as the Kia EV4 and the upcoming Audi A2 e-tron. Commercial launch is expected in 2028, but BMW has yet to announce either an exact unveiling date or plans to sell the model in Russia.