New I Series moves game on

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Friday, December 09, 2011

It’s funny how small things can put you off a car.

Take BMW's 1 Series. When the first generation came out, it had some problems.

Tight room in the rear, ditto the boot. But what I disliked was the curved character line along the lower part of the doors, which made it look like a pregnant daschund.

Everything else about the car—the build, drive, efficiency—was as it should be in a car from Munich. I just didn't like that one styling feature.

Through the year, as I drove more versions of the 1 Series, I got to like it despite that ’pregnant’ look.

Indeed, the model turned out to be exactly what it was designed for, a car to bring BMW ownership to a younger profile and earlier.

I have just been driving the new generation of the 1 Series hatch, the first variant in a whole new range of versions of the car.

And my impressions from an earlier brief encounter with it in Germany have been reinforced.

This is arguably one of the best compact cars around, and a true deservant of the BMW badge.

The essential style elements have been retained, sporty looking long bonneted and with a sharply cut hatch end. There is an evolved version of the brand's front end, familiar grille with a little more emphasis dialled into the whole effect.

The profile has a more thrusting look, with a sharp sculpt running from just above the front wheel arch through the door handles to link with the rear lights.

That old drooping line at the bottom of the doors has been changed to a much more muscular theme, expanding to form a haunchy rear quarter panel around the back wheels. Short overhangs front and rear complete the purposeful overall look.

There is a more interesting dashboard in the redesigned interior, with a static centre screen lifting above the shelf atop the centre stack in the review car. Management of the facilities controlled by the screen is through a tidy knob and buttons a little and and west of the gearshifter.

The main instruments are standard analogue, unfortunately using my unfavourite orange backlighting at night but otherwise quite clear. T

he steeringn wheel is to the excellent standard we have become to expect from the brand, with the on-spoke controls being particularly user-friendly.

From the driver’s perspective, this doesn’t seem to be a small car. Good head and elbow room, an excellent driving position easily achieved, and more than adequate fore-aft seat movement for even the longest legs.

Behind the driver there’s now more acceptable accommodation for rear passengers, decently accessible too.

And I’m told, not playing the game, that the boot will now hold a golf bag.

The interior finish is immaculate, and the sense from every handle, knob and other furniture is of absolute top notch build quality.

If in the past I have been less than complimentary about the look of BMW interiors as too utilitarian, I can’t say it about this one. At the same time, there’s no chance of strength being hidden in plush.

The powertrain in the review car was never going to be less than excellent, because it is the engineering of engines and transmissions which underpins everything that BMW does. In this case, the 143hp 2.0 proved to be elegantly refined, even if there was a tad much grumble at idle in traffic.

Matched to a 6-speed manual with just the right amount of heft in its shift, it was responsive and satisfying to play with when roads suited that.

The review car came with the ability to change driving characteristics from Comfort through a couple of grades of Sport.

Each of which had their own place and worked well, thou I found Comfort to be absolutely adequate for most of the kind of driving we are permitted.

There was also an Eco-Pro setting which changed engine and peripherals management to a very frugal level, with a degree of performance trimming. In this setting, there’s encouragement provided by a readout of just how many extra kilometres you are squeezing out of the fuel tank.

In terms of the drive, this new 1 Series was never less than an experience of satisfaction. Spiced occasionally by exhileration.

Always offering the driver a sense of the car being an extension of, in this case, myself.

The truth is, the 1 Series has always been a very good car. I’m quite sure that it is now even better.

Priced from €27,640, the review car was available from €31,000.