Friday 16th January 2015

BMW 1 Series facelift details

Well obviously the styling has been tweaked but there are a few other updates too [updated with UK prices]

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It's impossible to write about the BMW 1 Series without the styling being mentioned first. Even before the M135i the way it looks has be discussed. Ever since the 1 Series came out in 2004 its unique styling has always been a divisive issue

6 Series if you're being kind, X1 if not

And so it is again. This is the F20 facelift and, well, the front's better isn't it? Clearly 2 Series influenced it's a big improvement on the slightly pig-eyed original. And the back? Hmm. It has been suggested by one in the PH office that perhaps the designers of each end didn't know they were on the same project. And one was working from home. It follows current BMW style, the rear kind of evoking the the 6 Series Gran Coupe but then that almost seems the problem; the rear looks a bit big for the car. It's described as "completely reworked rear-end styling" and is designed with the horizontal lines to accentuate width. The lights are LEDs too. Certainly no mistaking it...

Right, so that's the styling covered. What else is new? BMW is keen to promote the 83mpg, 89g/km 116d EfficientDynamics but this is PH, we can stick to the fast ones. The M135i now matches the M235i at 326hp with the same 332lb ft as before. The six-speed manual and eight-speed auto are both available. There's no mention of the M Performance limited-slip diff as available in the 2 Series unfortunately. And though it may not command as much attention, the 125d looks like one of those great 'real world' packages. Torque is identical to the M135i but there's also 224hp, 62mph in 6.3 seconds and 121g/km or 61.4mpg. From a 2.0-litre diesel.

Double trouble at the estate agents

Inside the updated 1 Series the biggest news is, perhaps predictably, based on tech and apps and connectivity. A standard sim card and iDrive open up all manner of ConnectedDrive features for the 1 Series driver. Plus if they're all a little distracting, the new Parking Assistant has more sensors (12 rather than 10) to make your job as a driver little easier. Still too distracting? You'll love Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go then. Functional from 19-130mph, it's radar cruise control that will maintain a set distance at a cruise, in stop-start traffic, whenever. In a 1 Series!

The 118i will kick off the new 1 Series range at £20,245. The 116d ED is £22,560 and that intriguing 125d at £30,330. An M135i will cost £31,725, with all models on sale 28 March.And if the fact PH hasn't mentioned the M135i for a little while has reignited a desire for one, they're down to £22K now. A high-mileage car was up at £20K recently but sold before it could be featured. There would be a YKYWT to talk about.

 

[thatguy11]

So they've made the front end more attractive....but the rear less attractive. When was the last time BMW made a car that was properly good looking? they always seem to badly cock up at least some element of the design.

The only good looking BMWs I can think of in the past 10 years are the E90 and F30 3 series

Edited by thatguy11 on Friday 16th January 10:48

[Nors]

Sorry, but that's still very fugly!

[ajprice]

The front end looks better, the rear end looks less like a VW Polo now. So all in all, a bit better looking.

[Falsey]

So they fixed the front and ruined the back.

Some mentalists working at the BMW design house.

[FastRich]

That's what it should have looked like from the start, well done BMW, finally a "pretty" 1 series.

One thing bothers me though.... "You'll love Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go then. Functional from 19-130mph, it's radar cruise control that will maintain a set distance at a cruise, in stop-start traffic, whenever."

If it's functional from 19mph, how will that work in stop start traffic? Or is it just that the minumum speed which can be set is 19mph? Surely you'd just set it to the speed limit and play follow the leader?

[David87]

I'll still have the Golf R, thanks.

[6cyl]

Still not a fan... Front end improved, now it's the backside that's awkward. Is it that hard to design a good-looking hatchback, BMW?

[kambites]

Front is a big improvement, although I still think the 2-series front end would have worked better. The back is still vile, but perhaps slightly less vile than before.

The technical updates seem worthy and sensible, if hardly exciting.

[alexpa]

Still looks like a.. well a dog.

That's not a bad thing. If it looked fantastic others would struggle to compete.

[fatboy b]

alexpa said:

If it looked fantastic others would struggle to compete.

sorry, but

[Steve vRS]

Any idea when the facelifted F30 3 Series is due out?

Steve

[Lowtimer]

Steve vRS said:

Any idea when the facelifted F30 3 Series is due out?

Steve

Production begins July this year.

[JackReacher]

thatguy11 said:

So they've made the front end more attractive....but the rear less attractive. When was the last time BMW made a car that was properly good looking? they always seem to badly cock up at least some element of the design.

The only good looking BMWs I can think of in the past 10 years are the E90 and F30 3 series

Edited by thatguy11 on Friday 16th January 10:48

z4 coupe is one of the prettiest cars of the last 10 years in my opinion

[EricE]

junior supercar M135i

[danielj58]

To my eye it looks spot on. Rare we see such sweeping changes in a LCI though..

The 125d makes so much sense on paper and they're brilliant to drive, but my (and many others from the amount on the road) heart refuses to accept it as a better car than the M135i

[Mike Roberts]

If it helps the piece, the LSD is available for the 1-series and several have it fitted - it's a useless BMW documentation fail.

[RobM77]

fatboy b said:

alexpa said:

If it looked fantastic others would struggle to compete.

sorry, but

+1

I've driven pretty much all the competition and I agree - the 1 series is utterly fantastic (other than a lack of interior space compared to the FWD opposition), but just... so... ugly!

[kambites]

RobM77 said:

...(other than a lack of interior space compared to the FWD opposition)...

There's a fairly big "other than" in the family hatch segment.

[EricE]

comparison pictures



I thought the facelift looked disappointing until I saw these pictures. Looking at these pictures I think it's a big step forward, both front and rear. Still not a pretty car.

[Oddball RS]

What is it with these huge black panels on the rear bumpers? if you want to add a diffuser / other aero aid then do it, if not quit painting / sticking fake st on your cars.