BMW 1 Series

ONE FOR THE ROAD
Although the styling may divide opinion, the latest BMW 1 Series has substance in spades. Andy Enright reports

BMW is a company undergoing serious change. Change in their styling direction, change in their entry to unfamiliar market sectors and change in the way the business is managed. One thing that has remained a constant is the corporate philosophy that when it comes to road cars rear-wheel drive works best. It’s not as if the company can’t build a winning front-wheel drive car – witness the MINI. It’s merely a realisation that certain values are deeply imbued within the BMW psyche and power going to the rear wheels for perfect weight distribution is one of them. The 1 Series has offered a new direction for BMW that continues forward with these latest revised models. Some things however, are reassuringly familiar.

Before we get into that though, you’ll need to know about the latest changes. First, and most obviously, there are now both three-door, Coupe and Convertible models selling alongside the existing five-door car, with prices starting from £16,120. At the same time as expanding the range in this way, BMW has taken the opportunity to introduce some new technology to the line-up. Clever ideas like Brake Energy Regeneration, an Automatic Start-Stop function and Electric Power Steering are now combined with lower rolling resistance tyres and a gearshift change indicator to encourage economical motoring. These innovations are in addition to the use of variable valve technologies and High-Precision Direct Injection engines on some 1 Series models that boost power output but cut fuel consumption and emissions.

The 118d variant, BMW’s most economical car, manages its record 60.1mpg figure courtesy of these features in conjunction with the use of further lightweight engineering. It also puts out just 123g/km of CO2. Other engines in the 1 Series range record economy improvements of up to 24 per cent compared to the previous model, while emissions have also been cut by up to 21 per cent. These improvements have not been to the detriment of performance. This 1 Series is powered by a range of engines whose outputs have increased by up to 20bhp with a consequential improvement in performance figures.

"The 1 Series offers superlative balance and solid engineering"

Designed to compete in the compact executive sector, the 1 Series might be truncated in length but spend any time behind the wheel and you’ll soon realise you’re not being shortchanged any of BMW’s look and feel. Rear wheel drive has traditionally been something of an anomaly in this market sector and key rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf and the Audi A3 are built around front wheel drive platforms. Asking the front wheels to perform the tasks of steering and deploying the power is distinctly sub optimum in terms of outright handling. How many Formula One cars are front wheel drive? Exactly.

Where front wheel drive has traditionally scored is that it’s easy and cheap to manufacture a transverse engined hatch with a front gearbox and drive going to the front wheels. You needn’t worry about a bulky transmission tunnel running through the cabin so it works in terms of packaging too. There are some great front-wheel drive GTis around too, but after just a hundred metres behind the wheel of the 1 Series it’s apparent they’re starting at a distinct disadvantage. The slick body control, the perfect balance in corners and the supremely judged damping shows that BMW’s faith in the rear wheel drive layout has not been misplaced and their mastery of chassis dynamics shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Open one of the narrow back doors on the five-door model and you’ll spot the payoff right away. There’s less room in the back of the 1 Series than you’ll find in a supermini like a Honda Jazz. With a six-footer behind the wheel, legroom is shockingly bad and the transmission tunnel means that you won’t ever want to travel piggy in the middle on the rear bench. That’s not what the 1 Series is all about. If you want a practical car, go and buy a mini-MPV. If you want the latest urban bauble that will turn heads and get tongues wagging, the 1 Series will be more your thing. At a stroke it manages to make the Audi A3 in particular look ridiculously staid.

The rear wheel drive layout has done more than affect the way the car handles. With no requirement to set the front wheels back to accommodate a pair of rear facing driveshafts, the 1 Series has a pleasantly roomy footwell with no offset to one side. The engine is instead mounted largely behind the front axle which gives rise to the long bonnet. The car’s bulkhead is therefore set well back and, consequently, so are the windscreen pillars. This gives the 1 Series great all-round visibility without the mini-MPV feel of many small hatches. The way the windscreen pillars impinge on driver visibility in most rivals borders on the unacceptable but the 1 Series is again a welcome breath of fresh air in this regard.

Six engines are offered in the mainstream range, five with four cylinders and the powerful 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit in the 130i. A 116bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine powers the entry-level 116i, only offered in five-door form. The choice between three or five-door bodystyles starts with the 143bhp 118i or 118d variants. If you want a little more performance, opt for the 170bhp 120i or 177bhp 120d variants. At the top of the range, the 265bhp 130i is seriously rapid, the 0-60mph sprint takes 6s and the 155mph limiter will come into play if you continue to press on but don’t expect much more than 30mpg. Opt for a Coupe, priced from £21,585, and there’s a choice of either the familiar 120d engine or either of two new units, the 204bhp 123d diesel or a 306bhp twin-turbocharged 135i petrol flagship. Convertibles cost from £24,055 and offer the choice of either 155bhp or 199bhp 120i or 125i derivatives.

To herald the introduction of the latest generation of engines, BMW’s designers have refreshed the interior and exterior styling of the five-door model. The 1 Series now features a larger kidney grille for improved airflow to the engine. The lower front spoiler has also been reprofiled to create a larger air intake, while the spoiler protrudes further for a more pronounced, sporting look. The headlamp cluster remains the same size but a darker cover gives a subtle, more distinguished front end. At the rear a restyled bumper gives the impression of a wider, lower car. The rear lamp cluster now features a new arrangement of lights, but retains its original shape.

The three-door 1 Series features the same styling cues but its side view is naturally different. The passenger doors are longer than those on the five-door model and are also frameless in the style of a coupé. Inside, customers can choose between either a four-seat or a five-seat configuration. In the four-seat arrangement rear passengers are separated by a central storage compartment and sit in more sculptured seats. As a no-cost option the five-seat layout offers the traditional bench seat standard on the five-door 1 Series. The introduction of higher quality materials and minor changes to the layout of the interior aim to enhance customer comfort and practicality.

Although BMW continue to have high hopes for the 1 Series, in market terms it will always be a niche vehicle. It won’t put a big dent in the sales of more mainstream models but it will eat into the profitability of cars like the Audi A3. Pricing ensures that the BMW will never be commonplace but the cabin quality, the driving experience and that badge will be enough the seal the deal for many, regardless of what they think of the looks.