Sleeker BMW 1 Series here later this year
BY PETER BARNWELL | 7th Jun 2024
A REVISED BMW 1 Series five-door hatchback described as “generation four” by BMW, but really only a facelift of the current F70 iteration, is due to arrive Down Under in the fourth quarter of this year in 120 (front-wheel drive) and M135 xDrive (all-wheel drive) guises.
For those wondering, the “i” has been dropped from BMW’s nomenclature except for prefixing its fully electric models.
No pricing is available at the moment suffice to say the newcomers, with more equipment and refined looks, will likely increase regardless of recent 1 Series pricing.
The current entry-level 118i is listed from $54,800 excluding on-road costs with the M135i xDrive listed from $76,600 excluding on-roads, both ducking the Luxury Car Tax trigger price of $76,900.
Outwardly the new model’s hard points are the same as before despite being 42mm longer, with the new lower and deeper front bumper contributing most of that increase, topped by smaller kidney grilles along with changes to the LED light clusters.
Not much has changed at the rear apart from a rejigged bumper and new LED light clusters.
Minor detail changes can be seen in certain panels such as the side sills and under bumper area that feature revised highlights.
Adding drama to the rear of the M135 xDrive is a new quad-tip exhaust incorporated into a ridged diffuser.
Inside is similar to the BMW X1 SUV, using the same dash shape from the current model but with a new single-piece curved display housing a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.7-inch touchscreen infotainment installation.
GoAuto has been able to ascertain that the Aussie-spec 1 Series will have heated front seats, adaptive suspension and a tyre pressure monitoring system across the board.
Compared to the outgoing 118i model, the new 120 gains power-adjustable front seats, leather-free Veganza synthetic trim (replacing cloth and 'Sensatec' upholstery), adaptive cruise control, head-up display and adaptive LED headlights.
The performance-oriented M135 xDrive adds lumbar adjustment for the front seats and a heated steering wheel as standard, along with numerous other extras.
Also inside is an extended range of automated driving and parking systems, the new BMW iDrive with QuickSelect (customisable shortcut icons) and connected services based on BMW Operating System 9.
It appears the old-school iDrive rotary controller has gone for good, with the touchscreen assuming more functions including climate control settings.
BMW’s new entry-level European-spec 120 uses a 48V mild hybrid system for performance and efficiency gains.
The 120 is powered by a familiar 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine and a 48V electric motor is integrated with the even-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to deliver a system output of 125kW/280Nm.
Australian versions of the M135 xDrive may have more power than the European version because of differences to emissions tuning.
It uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 221kW and 400Nm (50Nm less than the current model) to all four wheels via a dual-clutch seven-speed auto that replaces the previous eight-speed torque converter transmission.
The new M135 xDrive is said to be capable of a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.9 seconds, 0.1sec slower than the outgoing M135i.
A pair of diesel models will be available in Europe but are not confirmed for local consumption. The 118d and 120d are powered by versions of the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, the latter with an integrated 48V electric motor in the transmission.
Chassis dynamics are sharpened on the new 1 Series for better handling, braking and ride control thanks to new dampers with improved tuning. Braking updates focus on the electronics.
The high-performance M135 ratchets up dynamics through adaptive dampers and an 8mm lower ride height coupled with a quicker steering rack.
A sports exhaust with faux interior “note”, a mechanical front differential, launch control, stiffer sway bars and four-piston front brakes with larger discs differentiate the M135, with the beefier stoppers an option on lesser 1 Series variants.
The usual M Sport Package Pro and model-specific BMW M Performance Parts are available across all variants of the new 1 Series which is equipped with an extensive array of ADAS features in addition to expected active and passive safety kit.
More details will be available closer to the new 1 Series launch Down Under.
