It’s a pity that first impressions are everything, because the mug on BMW's new 1 Series hatch hardly does the rest of the car justice.
Its nose is too big and its squinty eyes are too far apart, but behind the controversial face is a car that's more spacious, more efficient and way more technologically advanced than the first-generation 1 Series hatch that came out in 2004.
BMW said at the new One's international launch in Berlin last week that despite similarities in lines between old and new, every single component in its smallest model is completely new. Its height may be exactly the same, but the body's longer and wider, and with more space between the front and rear wheels, rear legroom has increased by 21mm. Boot space, at 360 litres, is now 30 litres bigger than before.
For now the new 1 Series gets BMW's smallest and most efficient four-cylinder turbodiesel and petrol engines, but bigger, six-cylinder versions are expected at a later stage. At its South African launch - planned for October 2011 - there will be two 1.6-litre turbopetrols with different power ratings, and a two-litre turbodiesel.
Gearbox options in all three models will include six-speed manuals and eight-speed automatics.
Starting at the bottom, we'll have the turbocharged 116i, with fairly puny output figures of 100kW and 220Nm, but a very attractive claimed fuel consumption average of only 5.6 litres/100km along with average CO2 emissions of 129g/km. The top petrol model at time of launch will be another 1.6 - but badged as a 118i - with 125kW and 250Nm. Fuel consumption and C02 figures are quoted at 5.8 and 134 respectively.
European markets will get tiny 116d and 118d turbodiesels but the only diesel slated for SA release is a 120d with 135kW and 380Nm.
BMW says diesel consumption will be around 4.5 litres/100km and, depending on specification, could come in just under SA's CO2 taxation threshold of 120g/km.
The latter two variants were available to test in Germany last week and, while I won't pretend that either offered the most exhilarating acceleration, I was still kept occupied by a fun little feature that will come standard in the all new 1 Series called Eco Pro mode.
Alongside Sport+, Sport and Comfort modes on a new “Driving Experience Control Switch”, Eco Pro shrinks the size of the drinking straw to the fuel tank by optimising the engine map, heating, air conditioning, and mirror/seat-heating settings.
That's usually a recipe for death by boredom, but BMW has made a fun “efficiency-tainment” game out of it by including a “bonus mileage” display that you as the driver can grow by driving economically. I gained about 12km over a distance of 80km, versus what the consumption would have been in other driving modes.
Standard efficiency-improving equipment also includes brake energy regeneration, automatic stop/start, electromechanical power steering and, depending on the model, an optimum shift indicator and a self-disconnecting air-conditioning compressor.
Two new equipment lines make their debut in the new One. The slightly lower Sport line is designated by high-gloss black trim pieces around the kidney grilles, exhaust tailpipe and door sills with Sport-specific 16 or 17” alloys. It can also be specced with red accent details around the interior.
The upspecced Urban line gets different rims, colour-changing ambient lighting, special cloth/leather seats, and can be ordered with somewhat distasteful white gloss-painted interior pieces, wing mirrors and wheels. Indicative pricing is between R270 000 and R330 000 across the range. - Star Motoring