BMW 1 Series Review 2024

New — it’s such an overused word, especially among car manufacturers where more often than not it’s merely shorthand for different from how it was before. How different will depend on the cash splashed at the model’s makeover. It’s a significant refresh we’re contemplating here, not a new-from-the-ground-up generation, although given how well regarded it was before the restyling that’s no bad thing. Read our full BMW 1 Series review to find out how good this reworked version is.

Pre-facelift, the 1 Series was a more complete product than its admittedly more likeable rear-wheel drive predecessors. BMW’s in the midst of releasing some challenging-looking models and the restyle here seems to have been inspired by the Kia Ceed, especially at the front — difficult to see that winning over the brand faithful.

Not that the Ceed’s a bad car by any stretch of the imagination, it’s just very mainstream, while the 1 Series is more upmarket. Forget the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra for although they’re similar in size to the BMW, customers tend not to cross-shop them.

More natural alternatives to the smallest BMW are the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class — similar not only dimensionally, but also in pricing and plushness.

With a little elasticity of mindset, one could argue that more expensive versions of the A3’s platform-sharing cousins, the Cupra Leon and Volkswagen Golf are also up there. If you’re looking for something that’s slightly left of field, the Mazda 3 is also worth a mention in this company.

Facelift it is, but BMW has made advancements in just about every area, giving the new 1 Series a more engaging drive and a neat, modern new cabin design that’s arguably the best of any premium-priced hatchback.

There’s no more space than before — some rivals are definitely more accommodating in the back seats and the boot — but the new 1 Series also arrives with competitive pricing on its side, making it look better value than premium rivals in basic form and an absolute steal for the 300-horsepower M135 hot hatch, which costs thousands less than equivalents from Audi and Mercedes.

The 1 Series certainly isn’t perfect because as well as the cosy rear quarters, BMW has bundled a few too many features into the car’s flashy curved touchscreen for our liking.

Perhaps more pressingly, the limited engine range includes no low-CO2, low-BiK plug-in hybrid choice, so anyone opting for a 1 Series as a company car will be stung by hefty tax rates as a result.

The new BMW 1 Series is more squarely aimed at private buyers, who’ll enjoy its dynamic drive, may not need expansive back seats and will find plenty to like. On first impressions, this could be the pick of the premium hatchback class.

In pre-facelift form, the BMW 1 Series was never a bad handler, despite it being the first 1 Series to have front-wheel drive rather than powering its rear ones. In fact, it was pretty good — just a little one-dimensional for enthusiastic drivers. BMW has stiffened the structure and re-tuned the suspension and geometry of the latest car and made it a few notches more involving to drive as a result.

The ride quality is firm compared to something like a Golf but it doesn’t feel detrimental to the car’s comfort — you’ll feel bumps but they rarely upset the car’s composure.

Really rough UK surfaces might feel a bit more jarring but our M Sport test car had adaptive suspension but even in its sport mode it never felt excessively stiff. BMW buyers will likely put up with some firmness for the car’s sharp, responsive and well-balanced handling.

The M135 feels more aggressive and grippy and with all-wheel drive it finds plenty of traction and staves off understeer more than the front-driven 120, yet it’s the cheaper model that’s the real surprise, with a lovely fluid feel to its handling that makes it a pleasure to drive almost everywhere.

It’s as adept on twisty roads as it is noodling around town or bombing down the Autobahn at three-figure speeds. Control weights all feel ideally judged too, from the measured steering to the reassuring brake pedal feel.

In the UK at least, the consolidated BMW 1 Series engine range now consists of just a pair of units.

For the 120 a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol produces 170PS and delivers a 7.8-second 0-62mph time through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox — there’s no manual alternative.

Propelling the all-wheel drive M135 xDrive is a 300PS 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol, brisk enough for a 4.9-second 0-62mph time. It too, is automatic-only.

There is, you’ll note, no diesel option — for the UK, at least —nor a plug-in hybrid or EV. We’ve already explained the effect the lack of a plug-in version has on Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car taxation rates but longer-distance private buyers may miss having a diesel option.

Just as the 120 stands out for its handling, the engine is another highlight. For a three-cylinder it’s incredibly smooth, with a burbly engine note but no sense of vibration through the controls, whether idling or at maximum revs.

It’s quiet most of the time but pop the 120 into Dynamic mode and the piped-in sound gives it an amusingly gruff and sporty note, with a keen throttle response to back up its eager performance.

All these qualities also apply to the M135, though expectations are arguably higher for the sportier model. The four cylinder’s smoothness and enormously wide power band, which makes it feel quick pretty much everywhere, sadly aren’t backed up by an interesting soundtrack — Dynamic mode’s artificially rorty exhaust replication can only do so much.

We’ll have to wait and see how the updated BMW 1 Series performs when Euro NCAP smashes it into various objects but since the outgoing car managed a five-star rating in 2019, BMW and its customers will be hoping for a similarly robust performance this time around.

There’s little reason to think it shouldn’t get another five stars and there’s plenty of standard driver assistance tech to tick the safety body’s boxes too, including Driving Assistant with front collision warning, Lane Departure Warning, Exit Warning and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Not everyone likes all those features, so it’s also important knowing how easy, or otherwise, it is to turn off the more intrusive aspects.

The answer is not quite as easy as the old car with its single, long-hold button press. This time around it requires a press of a centre console button near the gear selector and a couple of taps on the touchscreen.

This is one of few areas the new BMW 1 Series hasn’t really moved on from its predecessor — to labour the point, a facelift improves what was already there and structural changes, such as to improve practicality, are almost always out of the question.

Its 380-litre boot is therefore unchanged, though it’s also on-par with rivals, with the Audi A3 getting the same capacity and the Mercedes A-Class ten litres less.

Likewise, there’s not much change for those occupying the rear seats, though here the 1 Series feels a little more squeezed than several of its rivals, with knee room and headroom being tight for taller individuals, especially if those in the front are similarly tall. The space is generally a little gloomy, thanks to the rising side window line, small rear screen and abundance of dark plastics.

It’s better up front thankfully, where both driver and passenger get plenty of seat adjustment and can afford to stretch out a bit. Although it’s a five-seater, the 1 Series feels much more like its aimed at couples than families.

Cabin storage isn’t especially innovative but with a pair of sensible spots for a smartphone, a couple of cupholders and oddly-shaped but spacious enough door pockets, daily detritus isn’t difficult to stash away.

If space is nothing special, then the BMW 1 Series makes up ground with how everything looks and feels. The old 1 Series was screwed together very well and the new car feels just as solid, with no squeaks or rattles to be found and a substantial feel to everything you prod, squeeze and pull.

In entry-level Sport trim everything that looks like leather is a vegan-friendly alternative but it’s pretty convincing and feels high-quality. Likewise, a quick tap of all the parts that look like aluminium suggests most are the real deal, rather than shiny silver plastic.

The steering wheel and seats both feel great too, though as ever in a modern BMW, some might find the squidgy, thick steering wheel rim itself a bit on the chunky side.

Overall, the interior’s design looks great — slick and modern without resorting to either A-Class style tackiness or Tesla-aping anti-design blandness. The ambient lighting emanating from behind the aluminium trim elements is a neat touch too.

The new BMW 1 Series gets a curved driver information and infotainment screen, just like other recent models from the firm. The display in front of the driver is 10.25 inches and viewed obliquely actually looks comically small in its housing, yet from behind the wheel it’s as big as it needs to be.

Meanwhile the 10.7-inch infotainment display is smaller than the 14.9-inch one you’ll find in an X3 or a 5 Series but it’s right-sized for the 1 Series’ cosy cabin and is close enough to the driver to always be within fingertip reach.

It’s clear and relatively swift to flick between different menus too, running BMW’s Operating System 9, with over-the-air updates, integration for various apps and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The one time it feels a bit slow is when selecting drive modes, via a button on the centre console and it’s a bit odd that menu doesn’t disappear again when you’ve picked your preferred mode – you need to tap the home button to return, which usefully brings up your map screen.

One thing the 1 Series lacks that larger BMWs get is an iDrive rotary controller for the multimedia system and there are only a few hotkey buttons too, forcing you to touch the screen more than with other models.

Sadly, that includes the heating and ventilation controls, which aren’t as intuitive as knobs and switches.

It’s bad news for Audi and Mercedes, since the new BMW 1 Series arrives punchily priced. Considering the entry-level 120 Sport makes good power and is well equipped, a £31,065 starting point looks good, being only around £100 more than the equivalent Audi A3 Sport 35 TFSI S Tronic, yet it’s more than £3,000 cheaper than a Mercedes A 200 Sport. An extra £2,000 for the 120 M Sport isn’t excessive either.

Meanwhile, the £43,000 M135 xDrive couldn’t be called cheap, it’s nearly a grand less than a Volkswagen Golf R, a full £4,000 cheaper than an Audi S3 and undercuts the Mercedes-AMG A 35 by £5,000. It’s easily the cheapest all-wheel drive hatch boasting around 300PS.

BMW says you’ll average 53.3mpg with the 120 Sport. That might not be too far removed from reality, given a day of mixed driving in a 120 M Sport returned 45.6mpg, despite some 100mph-plus Autobahn driving combined with some urban sections and a few twisty roads making use of the revs. On a gentle commute, 50mpg seems well within reach.

The M135 meanwhile is claimed to return 37.2mpg, and on a shorter drive our 34.4mpg wasn’t too far off from that either, though the average hot hatch enthusiast should expect to get less than we achieved.

The 120’s best economy also results in a 121g/km CO2 rating for a first-year VED cost of £220, and £190 a year thereafter. 173g/km of CO2 for the M135 means a heftier £1,095 bill in year one and then £600 in years two through six, thanks to the £40,000-plus purchase price and the resulting VED surcharge.

Neither engine is great for company users though. Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rates of 29% for the 120 and the maximum 37% of the M135 are well behind the single-digit rates enjoyed by plug-in hybrid rivals.

Today’s BMW 1 Series range consists of just three individual derivatives, the first two sharing the same engine. Should BMW decide to expand upon the range, Sport and M Sport could well be the only trim levels in the accepted sense as M will remain the preserve of the 135 within this range.

Gateway to the line-up is the BMW 120 Sport, with equipment including 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, Shadowline — that’s gloss black — exterior trim, interior ambient lighting, fabric upholstery and heated front seats, a sports steering wheel, single-zone air conditioning, a rear-view camera and a curved display incorporating 10.7-inch infotainment and 10.25-inch instrument screens, with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Progress a notch to the BMW 120 M Sport model and you’ll net larger 18-inch alloys, more aggressive M Sport exterior styling, Alcantara and Veganza upholstery, sports front seats, illuminated interior trim elements, an M Sport leather steering wheel and adaptive suspension.

Building on the M Sport’s kit roster, the BMW M135 has all this plus a horizontal slatted grille, a quad exhaust system, rear spoiler and more powerful M Sport brakes with blue calipers.

You can add Technology, Technology Plus, and M Sport Pro packs to most trim levels, with the M Sport Pro pack getting uprated brakes, using pads from the BMW M3 performance car.

Individual options include dual-zone air conditioning, a heated steering wheel, M Sport seats, and Harman Kardon audio, again available across most of the range.