BMW 1 Series

• Rating:
• Latest deal price: from £18,168 to £25,281
• For : Good to drive, economical engine range, quality cabin
• Against : Cramped rear seats, expensive, looks not to all tastes

Styling

Love it or hate it, the BMW 1 Series has always stood out – and the latest model is no less controversial. Gone is the edgy ‘flame surfacing’ design language, replaced by a smoother look influenced by the latest 5 and 6 Series. However, the front features prominent kidney grilles and large headlights. The wider stance and flared wheelarches make it seem lower and sportier.

Interior

The previous-generation 1 Series cut some corners on the inside – not so the new one. The cabin certainly ticks the quality box. All the controls are chunky, the dashboard is trimmed in soft-touch plastics and there’s a generous amount of leather and metal finishes. The driving position is really good too – very adjustable with decent visibility. There’s plenty of equipment on offer as well.

Driving and Performance

Buyers can choose from a 1.6-litre petrol turbo with 136bhp in the 116i or 170bhp in the 118i. As for diesels, there's a 2.0-litre offering 114bhp in the 116d, 143bhp for the 118d and 184bhp for the 120d. Thanks to wider front and rear tracks and a Driver Performance Control button, the 1 Series corners without much body roll and shows decent agility. It rides more comfortably than before too.

MPG and running costs

With new engines, a 30kg lighter body and standard stop-start as well as other Efficient Dynamics tweaks, the new 1 Series is very economical. The 118i is capable of returning around 48mpg and emitting 137g/km of CO2, which is very impressive given its performance. From launch, the most economical diesel is the 116d, which returns 66mpg and emits 114g/km. iAll 1 Series models get ECO PRO mode, which encourages more economical driving by reducing throttle response and the load of equipment such as air-con.

Practicality

The BMW 1 Series has been lengthened by 85mm, with 30mm added to the wheelbase. However, while it is more spacious than before, it is very cramped in the rear compared to a VW Golf. That said the boot is now 30 litres bigger, at 360 litres, and is a very handy size. There's no shortage of cubby holders inside, either.

Safety and reliability

The new 1 Series gets a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating. BMW models are generally very reliable – the previous-generation model suffered from just a few minor recalls, so we'd expect the new model to be even more dependable despite its extra equipment. Options like lane departure warning and a system which brakes the car at very low speed to avoid a collision are impressive additions to the long safety kit list.