What is it?
The 1-Series is the first BMW range to be launched in opposition to the VW Golf, although it will be a premium alternative rather than a direct rival.
It maintains the BMW tradition of rear-wheel drive, and develops the sculpted look of all recent BMW designs.
When's it due?
UK cars will be available from September.
What are the engines and transmissions?
The 1-Series is being launched with four engines, two petrol and two diesel.
Petrol
116i: 1.6-litre, 115bhp@6000rpm, 110lb ft@4300rpm
120i: 2.0-litre, 150bhp@6200rpm, 147lb ft@3600rpm
Diesel
118d: 2.0-litre, 122bhp@4000rpm, 206lb ft@2000rpm
120d: 2.0-litre, 163bhp@4000rpm, 250lb ft@2000rpm
Inevitably there are rumours about how this engine range may be enlarged, but BMW is tight-lipped at this stage. Six-cylinder engines will fit in the engine bay, and it would be surprising if this potential wasn't realised at some point.
A hot M version has also been mooted, but if it happens it is likely to be some time away, perhaps as much as three years. For now BMW is concentrating on the volume sellers.
How fast does it go?
Manufacturer's figures:
116i: 0-62mph - 10.8secs, top speed - 124mph
120i: 0-62mph - 8.7secs, top speed - 135mph
118d: 0-62mph - 10.0secs, top speed - 125mph
120d: 0-62mph - 7.9secs, top speed - 137mph
What does it cost?
The 1-Series will be pitched above the Audi A3, making it rather steep as a Golf rival; for full prices and specifications click here.
Any special features?
The most special feature for most buyers isn't really special at all. It's a little round badge with a propellor on it, and you'll find it on the bonnet. If anything will distract you from that though, the styling will.
Yep, it's that man again, Mr. Bangle, who's responsible for the remarkable appearance of the 1-Series. The slashes and creases that punctuate the car's flanks announce BMW's arrival in the compact hatch sector in immodest fashion; only the forward-thinking need apply.
Perhaps of less consequence, the 1-Series will be good to drive, thanks to advanced suspension and rear-wheel drive. Kit levels haven't been announced but expect them to be a bit thin; bi-xenon headlights, park distance control, sat-nav and the like will all be cowering on the options list.
Oh, here's a gimmick for ya: two stage brake light clusters, as already seen on some current BMW models. They inform the following driver whether to brake normally, or whether he's got two seconds to avoid ploughing into the back of the 1-Series he's been sitting on the back bumper of to get a closer look. Seems like the men from Munich have thought of everything.
Who's going to buy it?
Social climbers will buy it, the kind of people who held drinks parties to celebrate the launch of the Compact in 1994. The 1-Series will come to define one-upmanship, and that territory has been the preserve of the VW Golf in this sector until now. The 1-Series is a car for the ambitious; no-one will want to own theirs for longer than two years, since they'll be itching for a 3 Series, then a 5 Series...
Mind you, if you did keep a 1-Series long term it would most likely be a decent buy thanks to BMW's build quality, and there will be a certain type of middle-class housewife who will do just that. By the time they come to sell it, people may even have got their heads around the looks. The 1-Series, though, will mainly attract men in their mid-twenties to early thirties.
The Top Gear verdict: favourite or failure?
The 1-Series, we're assuming, will be as good to drive as any other BMW. It will be refined, tactile and will handle with poise. On those terms it will be a desirable car. However, simply being a BMW will not be enough.
Leaving the contentious looks aside, the 1-Series will have to be well-packaged and sensibly priced if it's to be a class leader.
from:
http://www.topgear.com/content/news/cars_coming_soon/27/Nice try Bangle, trying to mimicks the Alfa 147 in some ways, wrong move pal
