The new BMW 1 Series was launched in Singapore at Performance Motors Limited showroom on 27 August. The third generation premium compact hatchback is built upon BMW's new front-wheel drive architecture, with a fresh new design.

Upon first glance, one will notice the new proportions and flowing lines of the all new 1 Series. The changeover to BMW's new front-wheel drive architecture allows a shorter front section, creating an all new look. The shorter bonnet melds into the windscreen, leading to a flowing, long roofline which droops slightly towards the rear. Meanwhile an athletic shoulderline accentuates the side profile, leading to a wide tail, emphasising the car's sporty presence when viewed from the rear.

Standing right in front of the 1 Series, one of the first details that you will notice is its fresh new face with a larger kidney grille that merges in the middle, a similar look as seen on the larger BMW sedans. The next thing to notice are the stunning full-LED head lights with hexagonal tubes of daytime driving lights. Their slant design and placement adds on to the 1 Series' youthful outlook, completing the striking shark nose.

Similarly, the rear end features full-LED rear lights featuring a single, slim light element with a distinctive side upsweep while its red cover conceals the turn-signal indicator, brake and taillights, reversing lights as well as the rear foglamp. A distinctive 90mm diameter chrome tailpipe completes the sporty rear end.

The 1 Series sports a roomy interior that offers more space than its predecessors, possible due to the new architecture. The transversely mounted engine allows the greenhouse to extend further forward, resulting in improved legroom despite the 1 Series being five millimetres shorter than its predecessor.

At 1,799mm wide and 1,434mm tall, the new 1 Series is slightly larger than before, and this translates to improved head and shoulder room. The rear luggage compartment sees a 20-litre increment, to 380 litres, expanding to 1,200 litres with the rear seats folded.

The contemporary and clearly structured interior creates an impression of dynamism and quality, with a driver-focused layout that is visually enhanced by trim strips which run towards the driver, and different graining effects and textures on the instrument panel and behind the steering wheel. Infotainment and information are presented to the driver by the new BMW Operating System 7.0, via a pair of large 10.25-inch displays.

To counter understeer on power - a typical drawback of front-wheel drive cars, the 1 Series utilises an actuator contiguous wheel slip limitation technology from the BMW i3s. This system significantly improves traction when pulling away, cornering or driving in the wet by allowing wheel slip to be controlled much more sensitively and swiftly than before. Also included in the 1 Series is the BMW Performance Control (yaw moment distribution), giving it more agile handling by applying the brakes at the inside wheels to suppress any initial understeer.

It is also equipped with standard Cruise Control with braking function, making long distance journeys a breeze. Additionally, it also features the standard Driving Assistant, which comprises the Lane Change Warning system as well as the Proactive Damping Assistant, rear collision warning and crossing traffic warning.

Clever use of aluminium allows BMW to shave off 30 kilograms from the 1 Series. Additionally, the 1 Series' body also features increased bending and torsional stiffness, achieved by bracing elements such as the standard boomerang-shaped strut in the rear section. A dynamically inclined suspension set up featuring multi-link rear suspension further ensures the 1 Series' agility.

The all new BMW 118i is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine with a maximum power output of 138bhp and 220Nm of torque from 1,480rpm all the way up to 4,200rpm. This powerplant propels the BMW 118i to 100km/h from a standstill in 8.5 seconds and goes on to reach a top speed of 213km/h.

The more potent M135i equipped with a 2.0-litre engine producing 306bhp, is expected to be available later this year.

The all new BMW 1 Series was launched in an exclusive partnership with Lazada, the leading eCommerce platform in South East Asia. This first-of-its-kind collaboration allows customers in Singapore to place a $500 booking fee on the BMW LazMall store from Monday, 9 September 2019 at 8:00am to secure a special interest rate of 1.18% for one of the first 11 units of BMW 118i M Sport. Bookings for subsequent units will be subjected to a booking fee of $118 and prevailing interest rates at the time of application. In addition customers will be able to arrange a test drive of the 1 Series via the Lazada platform from October.