BMW’s 1-series, possibly one of the very very few rear wheel drive hatchbacks on the market today has always been available in 5-door form only, making it look like a squashed 3-series with it’s boot chopped off. Previously, spyshots were snapped of a 3-door variation of the 1-series, so we knew this was coming, and here it is – BMW’s latest car, the BMW 1-series 3-door hatchback.
The new 3-door hatchback shares the same styling cues as it’s 5-door brother, but with a different, better looking side profile. The doors are longer than the front passenger door on the 5-door, and the door is frameless, as with most coupes.
Not content with it’s 5-series face lift, BMW has also face lifted the 1-series together with the roll out of the 3-door variant. The face lift sports a few changes on both the inside and the outside. The kidney grills are now larger, and the bumper also features a larger air intake. The rear lamp cluster has it’s internal lamps rearranged but retains the same shape.
On the technical side, the 1-series also gets BMW’s new improved engines. Most of the engines, both 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder, as well as petrol or diesel have had improvements either in the horsepower or torque area. The new BMW 1-series facelift also gets the Brake Energy Regeneration technology found in the new 5-series facelift. Brake Energy Regeneration takes advantage of energy currently lost through the engine over-run during braking, using it to recharge a high capacity Absorbent Glass Mat battery. An intelligent alternator only engages and powers up the battery when required. It offers a 3% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions.
Also, all manual transmission BMW 1-series facelift cars except for the 130i model comes with a Automatic Start-Stop function as standard, but can be specified as an option. The Automatic Start-Stop function automatically switches the engine off when the vehicle is stationary and the driver puts the car into neutral. To restart the driver only need engage the clutch again before pulling away in the normal manner. Should he/her not want to use the Automatic Start-Stop function it can be manually switched off.
There are a few efficiency tricks that BMW has employed to improve fuel economy. Motorized flaps behind the kidney grille improve economy, closing up for improved aerodynamic efficiency should the engine require less airflow. The air-conditioning power supply is disconnected from the drivetrain when not in use.
Engine changes and statistics in detail
Source: BMW Corporate Communications
130i: World’s lightest six-cylinder production engine with VALVETRONIC and Bi-VANOS technology achieves zero to 62mph in 6.0 seconds (five-door is 6.1 seconds) and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. Output is 265bhp while peak torque is 315Nm. Combined fuel consumption is 34.0mpg and CO2 emissions are 197g/km.
120i: New four-cylinder engine with High-Precision Direct Injection and Bi-VANOS technology achieves zero to 62mph in 7.7 seconds (7.8 seconds for five-door) before going on to a top speed of 139mph. Output is 170hp (up 20hp) while peak torque is now 210Nm (up 10Nm). Combined fuel consumption is 44.1mpg (improves by 17 per cent), CO2 emissions are 152g/km (down 16 per cent).
118i: New four-cylinder engine with High-Precision Direct Injection and Bi-VANOS technology achieves zero to 62mpg in 8.7 seconds (8.8 seconds for five-door) before going on to a top speed of 130mph. Output is 143hp (up 14hp) while peak torque is now 190Nm (up 10Nm). Combined fuel consumption is 47.9mpg (improves by 24 per cent), CO2 emissions are 140g/km (down 20.5 per cent).
116i (five-door only): Four-cylinder engine with Bi-VANOS achieves zero to 62mph in 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 124mph. Output is 116hp and peak torque is 150Nm. Combined fuel consumption is 37.7mpg and CO2 emissions are 179g/km.
120d: Second generation common-rail diesel engine with aluminium crankcase achieves zero to 62mph in 7.5 seconds (7.6 seconds for five-door) before going on to a top speed of 142mph. Output is 177hp (up 14hp) while peak torque is 350Nm (up 10Nm). Combined fuel consumption is 57.6mpg (improves by 16 per cent) and CO2 emissions are 129g/km (down 15.1 per cent).
118d: Second generation common-rail diesel engine with aluminium crankcase achieves zero to 62mph in 8.9 seconds (9.0 seconds for five door) before going on to a top speed of 130mph. Output is 143hp (up 21hp) while peak torque is 300Nm (up 20Nm). Combined fuel consumption is 60.1mpg (improves by 19 per cent) and CO2 emissions are 123g/km (down 18 per cent).
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Paul, this is nice.
Little cars with a large engine… LOL
The 1-series is the ultimate expression Chris Bangles idea of how beautiful can be ugly. Seriously, it just looks so horribly wrong. Our own Satria Neo 3-door looks better.
it looks more proportional now..
but still ugly nevertheless..
I hav a funny thought that it is a Z4 coupe at first
The car looks really nice from the back (hot hatch) but from the front looks rather odd (the engine lid part) is too long (they just totally copy the BMW sedan) with a hatch back for the back..
personally (proton Neo) looks much better…
The 1series looks better as a 3 door hatchback. Sigh………I can't afford one.
fugly front =.=
hey, did anyone notice the front…with the lights on…it look like eye…the centre grill looks like two large nose hole (lubang hidung besar)…and with a big mouth (air intake)….funny looking face…something from Lat/kees world kartun
1 series should have been a 2 door car from the start , the 5 door,rear space is pathetic , only kidfs can sit,low roof and really tight space…making the rear seats almost unusable….bt shape stil wierd
the white 1 looks great! interioir , cream and matt black, just the thing!!! the engines are lovely too!! 315Nm from a 3000cc engine.. torque of more than 100Nm/litre… thats high performance engine stuff!!
All ok but the front look is really really bad. it's not match.
One more thing, BMW is not suitable to build hatchback, they just really fit with premium models! I can't image if they make more compress the design of this to size of Kancil, really ugly. So, the decision is,hatchback not for BMW.
If this 1series compare with Neo in many criteria, of course the latest Proton's model is the winner.
Don't believe? Think again. Neo is better than this.
Looks better with 2 less doors.
However, I'm with RM, it still does look quite wrong….
The 318 hatch makes a comeback…… things done better but looks awful.
At long last, the car the 1 Series should have always been from launch!!
nice & cute, i luv it even better than the 5door version.. the seats would be nicer if they put darker colour, enhance the sporty look.. but it'll only in my dream to get one of these babes.. i'll settle for our own 3door hatch, proud to be Malaysian! hope proton can come out with bigger & more powerful engine for neo..
Rear and rear 3/4 views look nice. Front.. :(
For the 120i, at what revs is the max hp and torque acheived..?
the front of the car looks pretty comical..looks like some cheap chinese manufacturer's "trying to be BMW" design..and yes, our own neo looks better than this
too fat and long to be a hothatch…almost looks like a van (i really mean it, look at the 4th pic)
Forgot to ask, got LSD arr..? :)
When talk about Proton, ppl bash habis-habis. But now compare with BMW, ppl vote for Neo pulak. Is it ppl bash blindly? Talk about Neo's cramp interior. Look at what a 200K car gets you? About the same I guess.
I just hate the 1-Series, and to me the Audi A3 or Ford Focus Sports is even better…….
do you know how much is that?