BMW 1-Series Hatchback Review

Design and Engineering

Design and Engineering

 Good

Second generation BMW 1-Series Hatch launched Down Under in October 2011. The 1-Series Hatch was and still is the only model with rear wheel drive in the prestige small segment. All grades feature EfficientDynamics which is a range of technologies to simultaneously reduce fuel consumption whilst maintaining or even increasing performance. The bold styling is pure BMW, it’s unlikely your neighbours will mistake the 1-Series for a run-of-the-mill Japanese/Korean small car.
Not so good

The 1-Series is no natural beauty - however it’s a design that can grow on you over time. To our subjective eyes the muscular stance, long bonnet and upright windscreen works much better on the 1-Series Coupe with its small booted rear end, rather than the chunky but undeniably more practical hatch bodystyle.
Interior and Styling

Interior and Styling

 Good

The 1-Series provides a truly excellent driving position. The sports steering wheel feels just right and of course adjusts for both rake (up and down) and reach (in and out); the standard seats are quite comfortable, offer decent support and importantly have height adjustment; the layout of all the controls and instruments is hard to fault – most major functions are accessed through an easy to use menu button with the more driving specific options displayed between the usual BMW dials in a smaller display in the cowled driver’s binnacle. The use of materials is impressive as is the fit and finish.

Access to the rear bench is made easy by wide opening doors and cargo capacity can be increased from 330L to over 1,100 litres by folding down the 60/40 split bench.
Not so good

A price to pay for the segment unique rear wheel drive layout is less than class leading interior space. Whilst we have no complaints up front, the back seat is a little cramped, with not enough head and legroom for anyone over 6-feet tall. As a result it can’t match the interior flexibility of a Mercedes B-Class or even the Volkswagen Golf. A better buy for couples than families?
Performance

Performance

 Good

There are three variants on offer each with their own engine.

First up is the 116i featuring an entirely new 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 100kW of power and 220 Nm of torque.

Next up is the 118i which also features a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo charged petrol engine, but this time amps things up with 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque.

And, rounding out the 1-Series lineup is the 118d featuring a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo charged diesel engine that produces 105kW of power and 320Nm of torque.

The entire lineup comes with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard and there is also the optional eight-speed automatic transmission with Automatic Start/Stop function.
Not so good

BMW have dropped the petrol six cylinder engines from the 1-Series hatch range however they are still available in the 1-Series Coupe. Not surprisingly, just by looking at the power figures, the two petrol engines are by no means sports car fast, but nor are they supposed to be.
Ride and Handling

Ride and Handling

 Good

If you truly enjoy driving and occasionally (or regularly) wish your hatch could also double up as a sports car, than this could well be the car for you. Steering feel – tick yes to that box as the 1-Series steering feels beautifully connected to the road and remains pin-point sharp, perfect for driving across a favourite back-road. Handling – tick another box as quite frankly it’s that much better than most of the competition it’s not even funny. Across all grades body roll is kept to a minimum, grip levels are high and vehicle balance is reassuringly high. Yep, the interior flexibility disadvantages caused by a rear wheel drive layout becomes less of an issue behind the wheel.
Not so good

Over rougher surfaces the overly firm ride can become a touch irritating – especially if you opt for the sports suspension and larger sized wheels.
Buying and Owning

Buying and Owning

 Good

The 1-Series achieves that rare balance between performance and economy – so in this case the saying ‘you can’t have your cake and and eat it too’ is not true.
Not so good

If you're looking for a hatch that is versatile enough to carry adults in the back you might be hard pressed. Otherwise a great car.