Premium badge comes at a price

IT doesn’t seem like 2004 since the BMW 1 Series was first launched, but it is indeed eight years since the Munich concern decided that its 3 Series was moving too far upmarket and a new entry level model was needed.

Thinking back on it now — and given the BMW is one of the few genuine premium brands out there — it might seem curious the company decided to get serious in the small family car market, taking on the established giants of that segment, such as the Focus, the Golf and so forth.

Well, they were pushed into it really. The success of competitors such as the Audi A3 and the Mercedes A-Class, effectively made BMW’s mind up for it. People are always prepared to pay for quality and the sales figures for the three main German contenders is quite rude.