By Staff Reporter

BMW has unveiled the all-new 1 Series. The third generation 1 Series comes for the first time in front wheel drive and in 5 door only.

The new 1 series has grown in size and also sits lower. Passengers at the back will enjoy the growth in size as the car could get a bit compact there. Those looking for an airy environment will appreciate the introduction of an optional panoramic roof in the BMW 1 Series. Road trips will be easier with the boot which grows by 20 litres and now can swallow up to 380 litres of luggage.

The 1 Series features a larger kidney grille which merges in the middle. This emulates the latest BMW design language. At the back, the LED lights adopt the latest BMW “L” design.

Three diesel engines and two petrol units are available but in South Africa expect the new 118i and flagship M135i xDrive. The 118i will be powered by a 1,5-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine with 103 kW of power and 220 Nm of torque. The engine will be paired with either an optional 7-speed steptronic transmission or a 6-speed manual gearbox. The range topping M135i will employ a powerful turbocharged 4-cylinder that kicks out 225 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque. This will be paired with an 8-speed steptronic sport transmission. The M135i xDrive does the 0-100 sprint in just 4,8 seconds thanks to the launch control and all-wheel drive set-up.

Technological features seen in higher models such as the BMW Digital Key and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant (‘Hey BMW’) will now be optionally available in the new BMW 1 Series.

The all-new BMW 1 Series will be available in South Africa in the third quarter of 2019. Only the BMW 118i and BMW M135i xDrive will be offered from launch in South Africa. Local pricing and specifications will be confirmed in due course.