At first glance, I was not very thrilled about the redesign of the new 1-series. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s still quite a good looking car but the new design didn’t quite impress me like what the previous 1-series did. The car, as a whole, is aesthetically balanced apart from the awkward design of the headlamp. However, looks is a very subjective thing and I have read some articles which reported that a good number of people liked the design. It’s only aesthetics anyway. What’s more important is performance and drivability.
The 1-series is the smallest of the BMW line of cars. But with a length of 4,324 mm and width of 2,690 mm, it is not small at all. In fact, the impression I got when I first saw the car was it was huge. I think it’s because I’m driving a Honda Jazz which, when placed side-by-side with the 1-series, is puny in comparison. It has about the same dimensions as the previous 3-series and that line is a 4-door saloon while the 1-series is a 5-door hatchback.
Once you get inside though, you’ll see where those large dimensions are put to good use. The inside of the car is cavernous. The seats up front are well-bolstered and have very good leg room while the rear seat’s leg room is more than adequate though for individuals who are long legged, better stay in front. Head room, as you might expect with such a spacious cabin is very roomy. You wouldn’t be craning your neck every time you get in or out of the vehicle. The boot space is quite respectable which can become bigger when the rear back rests are folded. As one might assume that you’ll find a spare wheel when you lift the flooring of the luggage compartment, imagine my surprise when I found a battery sitting there instead. Then I remembered that the new 1-series is equipped with run-flat tires. But why that in there? Surely there are other things more important. I was told that it helps with the balance of the car giving it a 50:50 front/rear weight distribution and it also keeps the battery away from the harsh conditions inside the engine bay which could shorten its lifespan. BMW thinks of every minute detail, don’t they?
Anyway, the interior design of the new 1-series is leaps and bounds ahead of the older model. Where the old 1’s interior is bare, the new model has a more modern design and is plush with all the switches you could think of. There is the new steering wheel design which I like very much, thank you. It has a very sporty feel to it and it is laden with buttons and switches which controls the stereo and answer phone calls. The next thing you’ll notice is the iDrive system. Man, is it easy to use. The layout is very straight forward and it is very informative right down to the user manual for the car. There’s still the thick, soft-bound user manual though for those who want to go old school. Then we have the new and innovative joy-stick automatic steptronic shifter and it is a breeze to use. Another switch toggles between 3 settings which affects the car’s driving experience. There is the ECO Pro mode where you get to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% by optimizing accelerator pedal response and gear changes. Next is the COMFORT mode which is the mode you will be in at start-up. Then the SPORT mode which stiffens the suspension a bit to offer a more stable cornering ability and this mode, I was told, offers to you 100% of the engine’s power at your disposal. The START/STOP button is present and there is a button which toggles on the auto START/STOP capability. This feature allows you to save more fuel by automatically shutting off when it detects it is idling and the driver engages the brake pedal. Upon disengaging the brake pedal, the engine starts up again at a fraction of a second and you can continue on with to your destination. I’m not sure how practical is it to use this in the Philippines with the heavy traffic and all but it is a nice feature to have just for the reason to get a chance to show-off to some of your friends and hear all their compliments about how technologically advanced your car is.
BMW offers pure driving pleasure and the new 1-series is no different. Equipped with 2 4-cylinder gas or 3 4-cylinder diesel engines, I was initially worried about power output. On paper, the 1.6 liter twinpower turbo inline 4 gas powerplant produce about 136 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. Though not sporting mind-blowing numbers, the car is no slouch at all. Engine is very responsive and eager to devour the road ahead. Plus there is the overt sound of the whining and hissing of the turbocharger which is music to my ears. I also noticed how smooth the engine is between 1500-2500 RPM. I never thought that powerful and economical would go together but thanks to the twinpower turbo, you can go as relaxed as you want or toggle SPORT mode and tap on the engine’s full power and blast away. All that power is handled by a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission. Gear changing of the automatic transmission is very silky smooth and I didn’t notice any lag at all even when using the steptronic shifter. Driving it around corners, I noticed minimal body roll and at the same time providing effective dampening of the bumps on the road. Although having sportier suspension (i.e. stiffer) would be a good thing, practicality dictates that having more comfortable suspension is what I need considering all the potholes that littered the streets.
So, to sum it all up, while not exciting me much on the body design area, it sure as hell gave me what I wanted and more with its performance. Add to that the new interior design which has a more premium feel to it than the old 1, I would say that getting this car is a no-brainer, if money is not a question that is.
The Car for the Urban Jungle... the All-new 2012 BMW 1-series
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