BMW

1 Series

The latest BMW 1 Series is packed with high-end features and is guaranteed to deliver performance to match its sporty styling. Comfort levels are good and the safety spec is excellent.

The good

Style, driving dynamics and on-board technology

The bad

Stiff opposition out there

Tech Specs

Price from

£31,065

Combined Fuel up to

53.2mpg

0-62 from

4.9 seconds

max speed up to

155mph

co2 from

135g/km

Test Drive

BMW 1 Series – Fourth Generation First Drive (2024)

BMW introduced its first 1 Series back in 2004, and it quickly became a popular choice, selling in excess of three million units globally, with the UK accounting for more than 560,000 of those sales.

Fast forward two decades, and the all-new fourth-generation 1 Series has arrived. This fresh model is available as a five-door hatchback, with a simplified choice of powertrains and trims.

In the UK, the entire line-up is powered by petrol engines. Buyers can choose from the 120 Sport or 120 M Sport, both with 170hp and 280Nm of torque, the 123 xDrive with 218hp and 360Nm, or the M135 xDrive, which delivers 300hp and 400Nm.

The M135 is the fastest of the bunch, accelerating from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and reaching a top speed of 155mph. Prices start at £31,065 for the entry-level model, with the 120 series powered by a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive.

The 123 xDrive and M135 xDrive, however, come with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. With manual transmissions falling out of favour, the new 1 Series is now available exclusively with an automatic gearbox.

BMW expects the M Sport models to account for 70 per cent of sales, which is the version we opted for.

The 120 M Sport variant we tested features the compact 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system. Despite being the entry-level engine, it offers a respectable 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 140mph.

On the road, the 1 Series impresses with its excellent balance, aided by a low centre of gravity. It tackles tight corners with confidence and, on the highway, it is both smooth and composed. The seven-speed Steptronic transmission delivers smooth shifts, with enough power for overtaking or merging onto motorways.

The car features an upgraded suspension set-up across the range, resulting in a refined, albeit firm driving experience so if you hit a pothole it will send a shockwave through the car.

Standard Driving Assist and Parking Assist help make the vehicle easier to manoeuvre and park in busy town centres. The steering is well-weighted, offering good feedback, and the car’s decent all-round visibility makes it easy to navigate through busy urban streets.

For added driver engagement, steering-wheel mounted paddle shifts are included, along with three drive modes called Personal, Sport and Efficient to alter the car’s performance.

The fourth-generation BMW 1 Series boasts a bold, dynamic look, with a longer bonnet, more aggressive kidney grille, and a sculpted rear that gives it a more muscular stance. It’s grown by 42mm in length and is now 25mm taller, though the width remains unchanged.

The M Sport trim, in particular, stands out with sporty design details like large front air intakes, M Sport brakes with red calipers, a sleek rear spoiler, and unique arrow-shaped daytime running lights.

Moving inside, the cabin is modern and has clearly been designed with the driver in mind. The M Sport variants get unique touches, such as coloured seat belts, an M Sport steering wheel, and accent colours on the dashboard and doors. The seats are power-adjustable and can be heated, as can the steering wheel. A panoramic sunroof allows plenty of natural light into the cabin, while the dual 10.25-inch and 10.7-inch displays provide access to BMW’s latest Operating System 9 interface.

There’s a generous amount of tech to explore including a Harman Kardon sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, sat nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, Parking Assist and lots more besides. While the touchscreen system is easy to use on the move, we did miss the familiar BMW iDrive rotary controller, which would have made navigating menus smoother.

Stretching 4.34 metres in length, the 1 Series combines sporty good looks with practicality. There’s plenty of space up front with ample room for two tall adults to sit comfortably. However, rear passengers may feel a little cramped, particularly if the front seats are pushed back. It’s fine for short journeys but best suited for younger passengers in the back.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, offers 300 litres of luggage space, which expands to 1,135 litres with the rear seats folded. The M135 xDrive has a slightly larger boot at 380 litres, increasing to 1,200 litres when the seats are down.

There’s plenty of storage inside the cabin too, with a glovebox, door bins, deep cupholders, a central cubby and a wireless charging pad. However, the lack of seatback pockets or nets might be a drawback for some.

Getting down to the nitty gritty and how much the 1 Series will set you back. The line-up starts at £31,065 for the entry-level 120 Sport, rising to £43,000 for the high-performance M135 xDrive. Our 120 M Sport test model had a starting price of £33,065, but like many premium cars, it featured a range of optional extras that significantly increased the cost.

These included stunning Thundernight Purple paintwork, upgraded upholstery, a heated steering wheel, powered tailgate, an M Sport Package Pro (which adds styling enhancements), a panoramic sunroof, memory seats, Harman Kardon surround sound, wireless charging and plenty more. These add-ons pushed the final price up to £42,335 which puts the car in the luxury car bracket, resulting in additional tax costs.

In terms of the day-to-day running costs, the 120 M Sport delivers a combined fuel economy of 47.0-53.2mpg (WLTP), with CO2 emissions of 127g/km under WLTP testing.

All in all, the new BMW 1 Series is an outstanding compact hatchback that blends practicality with sporty performance. While the choice of engines and trims has been simplified, it still offers plenty of variety to suit different preferences.

The car’s striking design, upmarket interior and high-tech features make it an attractive option in the premium hatchback segment. With its engaging driving experience, solid build quality and competitive pricing, the 1 Series continues to be a top contender in its class.

Test Drive

BMW 118i M Sports Hatch (2021)

With sharper styling, a more spacious cabin and lots of extra cutting edge on-board technology, BMW’s latest 1 Series is a compact family car with real attitude.

The five-door hatchback is powered by a range of efficient petrol or diesel engines, with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions and even the option of all-wheel drive.

We selected the 118i M Sport version driven by a 1.5-litre, three cylinder petrol engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. This latest powertrain, delivering 140hp (an increase of 4hp over the outgoing car) and 220Nm of torque, is cleaner and more efficient with CO2 emissions cut by 29g/km.

The car was priced at £29,375, increased to £34,980 with options, and could sprint from 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds with a maximum speed of 132mph. And according to official figures, under stricter WLTP testing, the 1 Series could deliver up to 47.1mpg with carbon emissions from 114g/km on a combined run.

The third generation car boasts a more aggressive look, especially in M Sport guise with a larger kidney grille and the kidney shapes merging in the middle for the first time, a shorter bonnet, a more pronounced front end and upgraded lights.

An optional M Sport Pro pack costing £1,800 added M Sport brakes with blue calipers, M Sport seat belts, an M Sport spoiler and 18-inch Orbit Grey alloys.

The predominantly black interior is generously equipped with power-adjustable Black Dakota leather sports seats with memory settings, a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, an 8.8-inch touchscreen and snazzy new-look tft screen behind the wheel.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include a head-up display (as part of an optional pack), Harman Kardon audio system, smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay (plus Android Auto on BMWs with Operating System 7), a DAB radio, Bluetooth, heated seats and steering wheel, plus lots more besides.

Accessing the many on-board systems is a simple process via an iDrive controller dial, steering wheel buttons, voice control or even gesture control that means waving your hand around beneath the rearview mirror to lower the volume on the radio or accept an incoming call etc. Quirky stuff.

Out on the open road, the 1 Series is nicely balanced and can be pushed on into tight bends with confidence. There is ample power on tap from the three-pot engine and the steering is well weighted with plenty of feedback.

The 1 Series is no longer rear-wheel drive, which will be greeted with mixed views from driving purists, but the front-wheel drive model is beautifully poised and shows a real keenness to perform, especially on the quieter country lanes.

There are various drive modes to switch through called Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport that alter the responses of the vehicle with Sport being the most engaging. But with its firm M Sport suspension, which is lowered by 10mm, expect to feel some bumps and dips along the way.

When it comes to practicality, the cabin boasts extra space inside the latest car, especially for back seat passengers who are treated to more leg room. And the boot is practically-sized too with a 20-litre increase in capacity. This means it can swallow 380 litres of kit, increasing to 1,200 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped down.

And as one would expect, the 1 Series is packed with safety systems that helped it achieve a maximum five stars when tested for its Euro NCAP rating.

On top of the standard safety features our test car had a Technology Pack costing £1,250, that added the head-up display, high beam assistant, adaptive LED headlights, park distance control and a parking assistant that will automatically help park the car.

All in all, the latest 1 Series delivers impressive driving dynamics in a neatly packaged compact hatchback that’s very easy on the eye and also competitively priced.

Test Drive

BMW 125i M Sport Coupe

IT may be billed as BMW’s baby hatch, but believe me, this baby packs a grown-up punch.

Boasting amazing power, first-class specifications and an edge-of-the-seat ride, the One Series delivers blistering acceleration and superb road-holding capabilities no matter what the weather.

And if you are lucky enough to test out the model with M Sport spec, you are certainly in for the drive of your lifetime with deceptively powerful acceleration.

BMW is world-renowned for its build quality and luxurious finishes and this vehicle certainly lives up to the name’s high expectations too, with features including automatic air con complete with micro filter, rain sensors, central locking, courtesy lighting, automatic headlight controls, an interior auto-dimming rearview mirror and on-board computer.

Safety technology is in abundance with parking sensors, side impact protection, a passenger seat occupancy sensor, six airbags, run-flat tyres and a tyre puncture warning system, plus more familiar features like dynamic stability control, brake force distribution and a whole lot more.

But for me, the One Series is so much more than luxurious styling. At times, the awesome power and sheer driving prowess almost leaves you speechless and with six gears the power just keeps on coming.

Inside, it is deceptively spacious and there is also plenty of room for luggage too.

All in all, anyone who simply loves driving and wants to add the bonuses of luxury, comfort and thrills need look no further.