BMW’S second-generation 1 Series – codenamed F20 – has arrived to lure more would-be prestige buyers into the German marque.

The baby of the BMW range retains the brand’s trademark rear-wheel drive – the only car in this compact class to do so – but is longer and wider with a more muscular styling that combines to give the five-door hatchback a more purposeful look on the road.

While the body might be bigger and more spacious, the all-new four-cylinder petrol engine that powers two of the three variants on offer at launch has been downsized and turbocharged to meet BMW’s obligations to curb fuel consumption.

This 1.6-litre engine comes in two states of tune – a base 100kW variant for the new entry-level 116i, and a 125kW for the new 118i. The 2.0-litre diesel engine has been carried over in the 118d, but gets a shot of extra torque.

All engines come with a six-speed manual gearbox or optional eight-speed automatic – another first in this class.

The question is: how does it all come together as a package?