If resident BMW insider Scott26 is correct, the upcoming 1 Series FWD BMW model lineup will be available with M Sport packages.

Although the FWD models will be front-wheel driven, BMW has sporty intentions with the lineup; something we don’t doubt judging by how well MINIs (with which the FWD 1 Series models will share the UKL platform) handle and perform. Offering M Sport packages for the FWD BMW models will serve to enhance the sportiness (in looks, and perhaps performance) of the future front wheel drive range of cars.

Here are some speculative renders by resident digital artist Harold Wood of the BMW Concept Active Tourer (CAT) FWD electric hybrid in M Sport trim.

First videos of the BMW Concept Active Tourer which will become the FWD 1 Series GT. The concept will debut later this month at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Footage featuring both the exterior and the interior of the Active Tourer.

With the new BMW Concept Active Tourer, BMW presents a vehicle at the 2012 Paris Motor Show which is the first in the premium compact segment to combine comfort and space functionality with dynamic performance and style. Annual growth rates of up to five per cent are expected in the small car and compact segment of the premium class in the years to come. For this reason, the BMW Concept Active Tourer is a key component in the ongoing development of the BMW brand and its model portfolio.

As a plug-in hybrid, the BMW Concept Active Tourer also provides a glimpse ahead to future drive variants in automobiles of the compact class. The eDrive concept familiar from the BMW i8 is used here for the first time … CONTINUED

The BMW 1 Series GT (AKA Compactive Sports Tourer Concept), BMW’s first ever first front wheel drive model is expected to debut at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show at the end of September. The 1GT shares the UKL platform with the upcoming next generation MINI.

BMW inside Scott26 provides some insight on what to expect:

BMW Compactive Sports Tourer Concept is literally a few short weeks away [at the 2012 Paris Motor Show at the end of September].

We can consider the BMW i3 to be a revolutionary concept in terms of design and drivetrain but the term revolutionary can also be applied to the first of BMW’s venture into FWD territory.

The sketch is what happens when you spend more than a few minutes on putting something … CONTINUED

Anyone wanting a RWD X1 should look into buying a current generation X1, if a new report coming out of Autocar is true.

It’s being reported that the current model’s RWD / AWD platform (adopted from the E9X 3 series) will be replaced by the FWD / AWD UKL platform when the next gen BMW X1 hits the market around 2015. “UKL” is German for ‘Unter Klasse’ or ‘entry level.’

The FWD UKL platform is the same one upon which the initial FWD BMW models and the next MINI will be built on. The initial lineup of FWD BMW cars will include Gran Turismo, City Compact, and Family Activity Sports Tourer variants. See a summary of the next generation RWD / FWD 1 Series and 2 Series models.

The … CONTINUED

Insider Scott26 posts some more details on the upcoming FWD BMW 1-series models (based on UKL platform) which will join the RWD F20 1-series hatchback. In particular, information / speculation is provided on the 1-series Compactive Sport Tourer. Inside is a render which is said to be so close to the production version that Autobild was supposedly asked to remove it from its site.

The FWD BMW 1-series models lineup will include:

BMW 1er CITY compact
BMW 1er Compactive Sport Tourer
BMW 1er Family Activity Sport Tourer (FAST)
BMW 1er Gran Turismo
BMW 1er Roadster

BMW’s FWD 1-series model based on the FWD UKL platform has been spotted for the first time! The UKL platform is a FWD platform which the FWD 1-series will share with the next generation of MINIs (which coincidentally [or not] was also spied testing for the first time today).

The FWD 1-series will come in a traditional 5-door hatchback (pictured here), a sporting estate model, and a gran touring version. They’ve been referred to by insider Scott26 as the “City Compact,” the “F.A.S.T. Family Activity Sports Tourer,” and the “GT”. The rumored upcoming Z2 roadster will also be spawned off the UKL platform.

The FWD 1-series will join the rest of the 1-series lineup which in the next generation will include the F20 5-door sporthatch and the F21 … CONTINUED

BMW has previously confirmed that it will be producing front wheel drive models which will be available prior to 2013. Automotive News now reports that the FWD BMWs models will also be sold in the USA. There will be several variants introduced in the next several years, and BMW expects sales of 100,000 units worldwide annually.

For an insider’s preview of BMW’s FWD philosophy and insight, see Scott26’s previous post here.