2.0-litre range for Aussie 1 Series

BMW Australia has revealed that it will sell two 2.0-litre petrol engined variants of the 1 Series five-door hatchback and has dropped plans for a 1.6-litre.

The announcement was issued last Monday morning within days of Audi’s local A3 launch. The 1.6 was dropped from local consideration because it was not available with an automatic transmission.

The first 1 Series to get to Australia will be the 110kW/200Nm 120i that will go on-sale here in October after launching at the Sydney motor show.

The 95kW/180Nm 118i arrives in the first quarter of 2005 with pricing to start under $40,000. How much under is the question. When the 116i was in the frame, BMW Australia boss Franz Sauter forecast an entry price around $35,000, but that may now not apply.

In its first iteration the 1 Series is a five-door hatchback labelled a ‘Sports Tourer’ by BMW. A 2 Series coupe and convertible are forecast to appear internationally in 2005.

The 1 Series will be unique in its category because it will be rear-wheel drive, sticking true to the BMW tradition.

The 120i’s engine is mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Claimed 0-100 km/h acceleration takes 8.7 seconds with a top speed of 217 km/h. Average combined cycle fuel consumption is 7.4L/100km.

No performance claims have been issued for the 118i, although its manual transmission choice differs in being a five-speed.

Both engines include Bi-Vanos variable valve timing and Valvetronic but have different states of management system tune.

Other 1 Series specifications include aluminium MacPherson strut front suspension, five-link rear-end, 50:50 weight distribution and up to 1150-litres of loading space. The turning circle is 10.7 metres.

Standard features include a push-button start, multi-function steering wheel adjustable for rake and reach, climate control air-conditioning, and CD equipped sound system.

Passive safety systems include two-stage front airbags, front side airbags and head airbags for front and rear passengers. The pedal box swings away in a crash to reduce potential lower limb injury.

The 120i runs on 16-inch light alloy wheels with 16-inch steel rims for the 118i.

Being a BMW there is a plethora of electronic chassis controls including Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with a driving dynamics mode (DTC), Automatic Stability Control (ASC), Electronic Differential Lock, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD).

And naturally, the options list is sizeable, including sports seats with pneumatic backrest width adjustment, heated seats, keyless easy access with push button start, Bluetooth mobile phone interface with hands-free kit and operation via multi-function steering wheel, iDrive with voice activated controls, satellite navigation, illuminated entry system, leather interior, Park Distance Control and a range of audio systems.

The 1 Series dispenses with the oil level check. Drivers now push a button to display the current oil level on the instrument cluster. Additionally, the oil service interval has been extended to 30,000 km - depending on driving conditions - thanks to the Condition Based Service system, pioneered on the 7 Series.