BMW 120 First Drive Review

BMW has slowly but steadily stacked its lineup of compact models so robustly over the years that it's easy for drivers to take for granted that they now have a multitude of baby Bimmers to choose from.

Back in the early 2000s, however, that wasn't the case. And when the first-ever 1 Series landed in 2004, things really shifted for the brand. While the little hatch has been a magnet for impassioned chatter - things arguably reaching a head when the previous-generation switched from rear- to front-wheel drive - the fact remains that BMW's smallest has been a roaring success. 

Through it all, the 1 Series has held strong with those actually forking out the money. Into a vastly different world 20 years on - both for BMW and for the rest of the automotive world - the fourth generation now arrives, packing just the right level of renewal to keep the car fresh. And without switching up the formula by too much, it continues to stake its place: As the brand's definitive, solid entry point.

Despite the growing diversity of BMW's compact models, the 1 Series remains the definitive entry point to the brand

A deceptively different One 

All that might be hard to believe at first, at least when you first set eyes upon the car.

For a first impression, the latest 1 Series' new styling is as out-there as refreshes come. Gone are its circular head lights. In their place stand angular, almond-shaped eyes, with a new interpretation of BMW's signature 'quad-eye' signatures now taking the form of vertical streaks.

The car's front end has been drastically revised this time with its angular, almond-shaped head lights, new quad-eye light signatures, and unusually shaped kidney grilles with their own vertical-diagonal patterns

The shift is all the more jarring considering the car's trademark 'eyelids' have disappeared too, while the new kidney grilles have a lot going with their unusual shapes (similar to those on the X2), and the same vertical-diagonal vanes seen on the X3. On the note of the X2, the new 1 Series' chevron-like taillights seem inspired by those on its coupe-crossover sibling too. 

Spend a bit more time with the car, however, and its lineage to its predecessors will become comfortingly clearer.

The 1 Series' new nose now slopes down lower to the ground, and from the side, you'll find the car takes a slight, unexpected step back towards the long-bonnet profiles of the first two generations - for a decidedly athletic stance. Without the kidney grilles decked out in full gloss-black, the clear two-piece distinction also gives it a more familiar BMW-look. 

The low and long nose of the new car has resulted in a visual elongation of its bonnet - marking a nice callback to the earlier rear-wheel driven generations. The 1 Series is also one of the first models in the BMW family to utilise a new naming convention that drops the 'i' suffix on petrol variants 

And again, when regarded alongside the rest of the current BMW lineup, the initial feelings of foreignness dissipate slightly. Added on this rodeo, too, is the embossing of the number '1' onto the Hofmeister kink of its rear doors - making its identity crystal-clear.

Like the X3, petrol variants of the 1 Series also follow a new naming convention without any 'i' suffix - so that the letter is more immediately associated with BMW's electric cars. Unlike the X3, the shift on the 1 Series feels more significant; a numbers-only badge like '120' conjures up imaginations of old BMWs from the 1950s and 1960s (though there has never been a BMW 120). 

A delightfully-modern One 

The interior design of the all-new 1 Series is perhaps where there will be less contention. 

With its smaller screens and slightly stricter diet of expensive-feeling materials around the cabin, the outgoing car was genuinely starting to feel its age on the inside. Now overhauled at last, the 1 Series doesn't just get the sort of tech that makes it immediately identifiable as a modern BMW, but also puts on its own design spin to set it apart from the other smaller members of the family.

Expectedly, the hatch now gets the single-panel Curved Display, housing a 10.25-inch instrument cluster for the driver and a 10.7-inch infotainment touchscreen. Expectedly, this also runs BMW OS 9, whose simplified interface handily keeps the expanse of sub-menus that arrived on OS 8 out of sight by default - and thus makes the user experience more straightforward on the move.

While the Curved Display setup is no longer foreign, the 1 Series does get its own touches on the inside with its unique ambient lighting patterns

The dashboard, however, boasts a unique sort of clean craft: Flanked by inwards-slanting diagonal columns that neatly house the air-conditioning vents and ambient lighting pockets. While baby Bimmers still don’t seem to have the privilege of boasting Interaction Bars, the 1 Series does get its own layered, central set of light strips too. In all, it's both a coherent and vibrant space to behold.

Moving to the rear, the 1 Series' previous-generation switch to a front-wheel drive platform continues to reap benefits for second-row passengers. The car's wheelbase hasn’t been stretched this time, and while it doesn't match something like the 2 Series Active Tourer or X1 in terms of spaciousness, two full-sized adults can still tag along with relatively good amounts of head and legroom in the rear.

Space in the rear is easily adequate for two full-sized adults, while the car's boot is of a nice useable shape and proportion - even if it doesn't offer the most space

It's on mild hybrid variants like this 120, however, where a trade-off for the car's partial electrification becomes clear. Because the car’s 48V battery is mounted in the boot, underfloor storage is affected rather significantly, reducing the car's boot capacity to just 300-litres - which is really not a lot, especially when stacked against a rival like the A3 Sportback (also a mild hybrid).

Nonetheless, bear in mind that the 1 Series is still a compact hatch, and you'll find the large opening and width of its boot still offer decent levels of practicality. (Besides, this reduction in boot capacity is unlikely to bother the Singaporean customer anyway - more on that in a bit.) 

Now in its fourth generation, the 1 Series continues to delight from behind the wheel 

A competent and versatile One

As mentioned, the big update with this fourth generation is the newfound inclusion of 48V mild hybridisation on a number of the engine options - including this 120 variant with its 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-three.

System output stands at 168bhp and 280Nm of torque, with an electric motor mounted in the car's transmission functioning as an integrated starter generator for extra efficiency, and for added boosts of power right off the line or when coasting at speed. While the figures are not much to shout about, there's still a good amount of low-end torque that imbues the 1 Series with a thorough and convincing sense of pep.

The 1 Series exhibits the magic of feeling like a bigger car with its stability, but shrinks dependably down to size again on a twisty road

As with before, the 1 Series continues to delight from the helm too. 

The driver sits nice and low, for starters, with a nicely set-up position. BMW states that it has revised the car's suspension for a better breadth of capabilities - both for extra comfort and for better dynamic balance - but as is typical BMW-fare, spec the car out in M Sport trim, and you'll find it can tend a bit too much towards firmness. On the whole, however, the car's ride quality remains very good and settled for its size.

On the highway, especially, it exhibits the magic of feeling like a bigger car with its stability. But down a twisty road, it shrinks back down to proportion again - manoeuvrable, quick to turn, and planted in a way even the most accomplished compact crossovers threatening to replace it would struggle to achieve. Its expert mixture of composure and alacrity remains highly satisfying for something this size. Aiding things, naturally, is the car's relative lightness. Even with the extra battery of its mild hybrid system onboard, the 120 tips the scales at just 1.5 tonnes unladen.

Still the dependable, little One - upgraded with a catch

If one can look past the divisive styling of the all-new 1 Series (and it's already a surefire guarantee that many will), they will find a thoughtfully pieced-together and suitably modern compact hatch; confident in its persisting strength as one of the best behind the wheel for its segment. Beneath all the noise, in fact, the car in its current form arguably stands as the most well-rounded entry-point experience to the brand than it ever has.

The fact that the 1 Series has gotten mild hybridisation to keep it apace with the latest-generation drivetrains feels timely too; a strategy that one expects will keep the car fresh and updated in a world skewing electric... 

...except that it's unlikely that Singaporean consumers will get to appreciate this. Given that the 120's output would catapult it way above the power cap for a Category A COE, it's not headed for our shores. Instead, a 116 variant recently announced by BMW, producing 121bhp, is likely to land here instead - but will come without any form of electrical assistance. 

Even without its mild hybridisation, the 1 Series remains a satisfyingly competent entry point to the BMW range 

To be clear, this is shortchanging - if one may phrase it as such - perpetrated not by the brand, but by our nation's unwieldy taxes. The reality, too, is that the unassisted 1.5-litre inline-three on the 116 is likely to perform fine in the context of Singapore's slower highways and built-up roads anyway. Likewise, the absence of mild hybridisation is unlikely to dull the ultra-modern sheen of the package put together by the latest 1 Series as well. Nonetheless, one cannot also help but find it a shame that a brand's latest efforts have to be neutered once more - by a system out of its control.