Spycam: BMW 1 Series Hybrid

Looks like a plain old BMW 1 Series hatch, doesn't it? Take a closer look, especially on the rear side windows and just below the rear license plate. The car you see here is actually a prototype 1 Series hybrid.

BMW recently made a commitment to more environmentally-friendly cars and has been quick to move hybrid powertrains into its fleet. While large vehicles like the 7 Series ActiveHybrid and X6 ActiveHybrid can better absorb the added cost of the hybrid drivetrain, their size and weight means they're less environmentally-friendly than they could be. Smaller hybrids make far more sense for a company looking to reduce its impact on the environment and its fuel consumption, so it's no surprise BMW already has 1 Series hybrid prototypes running around.

With more-efficient-than-gas diesel engines already all over Europe, BMW needs a way to stand out in the green game, and with rivals at Mercedes-Benz and Audi only slowly approaching hybrids and small hybrids in particular, the 1 Series hybrid could give BMW a big leg up. BMW now also has to contend with European-newcomer Lexus, which recently showed a small hybrid hatch at the Frankfurt show that it wants to bring to production in Europe, making even more of a case for a 1 Series hybrid.

At the moment, little is known about this prototype, but it likely uses a hybrid system similar to the ones found in the 7 Series and X6 ActiveHybrids but downsized to fit in the 1 Series. We don't know how far along BMW is in development of the 1 Series hybrid or what its production plans are, but given that next-gen 1 Series prototypes are already running around Germany, a hybrid debut in the next-gen car is probably a safe bet.

Assuming the 1 Series hybrid is the next BMW hybrid to debut, it will be the third in the company's line-up behind the 7 Series and X6. However, BMW is already working on a next-generation 5 Series that's set to debut soon and has said that it will build a hybrid version of that car, as well as a hybrid version of the next 3 Series, so it's possible the debut order could be rearranged as all these new products come to market.