What is it?

The BMW 1 Series has been on the UK market for some 20 years now and through three generations has evolved to include three and five-door hatches, a coupe and a convertible. It’s also undergone an earth-shattering change for traditional BMW drivers, in that the second generation boasted the brand’s signature rear-wheel drive, but the third shifted to the front.

In that time the car has sold around 560,000 on the UK market, a sizeable number of these to fleet buyers as generally the 1 Series represents the cheapest way to drive a BMW. It’s also apparently one of the most popular models for those who really enjoy the driving experience as opposed to merely going from A to B.

Now we have a fourth-generation version of the 1 Series, arriving on UK roads in October 2024 as a five-door hatch and for now at least, available in four incarnations with three all-petrol engine choices.

The core of 1 Series sales will no doubt be the 120, available in base and Sport versions and relying on a three-cylinder powerplant of 1.5 litres, putting out 170hp and 280Nm of torque and with mild hybrid assistance. This is good enough to send the car through 62mph from rest in 7.8 seconds and onto a maximum speed where allowed of 140mph.

Topping the range are a pair of all-wheel-drive variants, xDrive in BMW parlance. The 123 xDrive offers up 218hp and 360Nm, cutting the 0-62mph performance time to 6.3 seconds, while the 300hp/400Nm M135 dips the sprint time just below five seconds.

Interestingly all versions come only with dual-clutch seven-speed auto transmissions, BMW reporting that the manual gearbox take-up level did not justify its continuation – times they are a changing… Having said that, our car does come with gear-shift paddles enabling manual changes if one desires – remember that comment about those who enjoy driving? Most, however, will likely leave it to the technology.

On a short launch event test drive Business Motoring focused on the 120 Sport, which accounts for 70% of all 1 Series sales and will certainly be the prime fleet choice, with its least BIK-damaging CO2 figures of 128g/km, alongside WLTP fuel economy just topping 41mpg.

This model costs from £33,065, slightly less than the outgoing 118i Auto that it replaces, despite 34hp more power and more equipment. The price is £2,000 more than that of the plain 120 entry-level car, though both can soon be ballooned by extensive dipping into the options list – our test car had more than £10,000 of extras fitted to it.

The new 1 Series is a clear evolution of its predecessor and very similar in size, just 42mm longer and 25mm higher. The front end is rather flatter than the outgoing model with yet another incarnation of the brand’s signature ‘kidney grille’, this now wider and lower, and actually leaning slightly forward.

Our test car, being a Sport, gains a rather more purposeful look, with large air intakes on the front, side skirts and a diffuser at the base of the rear end.

An interior redesign includes BMW’s rather attractive curved widescreen display that carries the driver’s essential info and the central infotainment system, all controlled by the latest software which we understand is called ‘Operating System 9’ – a bit like updating one’s iPad… This can by means of a subscription provide access to a wide range of apps including news, games and streaming services – selected functions can be tried for a month before signing up to the subscription.

M Sport and MX135 versions also get Veganza and Alcantara upholstery, meaning that the interior is totally leather free. Heated front seats are now standard across the range, while the M Sport seats are standard on our car and a popular option elsewhere. Another natty design is the M interior trim with its individual light points in what we are told is a ‘waterfall design’.

A major change over the previous equivalent 1 Series, and again pandering to enthusiastic drivers, is the fitting of adaptive M suspension as standard. This ranges across frequency selective dampers, stiffer bushes, extra strut braces and lowering of the ride height by up to 8mm to produce a more handling friendly package.

The standard equipment has been generally enhanced, highlights including automatic air conditioning, LED headlights and BMW’s ‘live cockpit’ and bespoke cloud-based navigation system – smartphone integration to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also standard.

Among the various ADAS driver aids are some extra features as standard, including a driving assistant and a parking assistant that constantly remembers the previous 50 metres of a journey, thus making it easier, for example to turn round having inadvertently driven down a cul-de-sac…

The 1 Series does come with a full suite of ADAS technology – the model has not undergone a Euro NCAP crash test since 2019 when it scored a top five-star rating.

What do we think of it?

From first viewing the new BMW 1 Series will not catch the eye for its heavily reworked styling, this clearly a product of the “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. But it’s no bad thing, the car looks suitably purposeful especially with the M Sport body additions already mentioned.

Inside the long-established BMW quality is evident, with lots of shiny metallic detailing splitting up the surfaces but in an upmarket way.

The latest technology is equally evident in the form of the widescreen ahead of the driver, a system similar to that in the equally new X3 SUV. It’s all touchscreen or voice controlled and one does occasionally feel that the odd physical button for some of the significant actions wouldn’t be a bad thing.

The 1 Series cockpit is a comfortable place to be, especially in the M Sport seats that come with the model, while rear-seat space is also adequate for a car in this class, while at 380 litres the boot is big enough for most.

On the road the 1 Series is – well a BMW. With the mild hybrid engine you don’t get the seat-of-the-pants actions and audio notes of some more potent BMWs, but in this environment you don’t want it. The engine is very refined, but also offers up just enough performance when needed, responding eagerly to the right foot while maintaining the fuel economy levels a fleet driver mashing the miles will require.

Where the 1 Series will leave many rivals behind is in its chassis. BMW’s long-lived ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ tag has had to navigate the switch to front-wheel drive and it’s done it very well. This is a car that corners with precision with just the right amount of feel through the steering, and rides well whether cruising a motorway or tackling a twisty B road.

Overall the new 1 Series is a significant advance over its predecessor – it may not look it from the outside but the big improvements are all underneath, and we anticipate many a fleet driver will be drawn to the car.

Business Motoring First Drives are the initial test of a new vehicle, of usually between 50 and 100 miles. Business Motoring Full Reviews are usually conducted over a full week, completing several hundred miles.