Reports have surfaced saying that a top official at BMW has confirmed that the German carmaker will soon begin to produce front-wheel-drive vehicles. The car, likely to compete with the Audi A1, will be based on a new joint architecture, currently in its research phase, that will be shared with the MINI.
The new platform will be suitable for both front-and four-wheel drive systems, a BMW executive says that the platform will be applicable “to various models and brands.”
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said, “In the future, we will generate growth both in the large model segments and in the compact and sub-compact model segments.” On the topic of the city car market, he said “We will launch more MINI and BMW models and variants – also in the small car segment.”
All MINI cars are front-wheel-drive and platform sharing between the two car makers could save money in the long run. The new platform is expected to debut on the 2013 MINI Cooper and its architecture can be used on up to 20 different models.
Source: World Car Fans
