Super TestCar reviews - BMW - 1 Series - 5-dr hatch rangeBMW modelsOverviewThe cheaper second-generation BMW 1 Series hatch still handles sweetly11 Oct 2011 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? Model release date: 1 October 2011 to 1 May 2015 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelTHE arrival of the 1 Series in 2004 marked the return of BMW to small-car motoring, but unlike some of its rivals BMW did not dump its cherished rear-wheel drive format just because it was designing a compact car. |
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