BMW 1 Series facelift revealed

Radical styling updates, inside and out, plus a revamped engine range for BMW’s big-selling hatch

    BMW has taken the surgeon’s knife to three and five-door versions of its 1 Series hatchback, as well as fitting new a new three and four-cylinder range of petrol and diesel engines. The facelifted model will go on sale in the UK in late March, after making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier that same month.

    The most notable changes occur at the front end, where the old model’s droopy headlights are replaced with narrower, more angular units that come as standard with LED running lights, and can be ordered as full LED lights as an option. M Sport models get full LED headlights as standard.

    The rear has received a major overhaul, too, with much slimmer, L-shaped LED taillights that wrap around and along the boot lid. A new design for the double kidney grille and larger intakes (especially on the aggressively-styled M Sport model - see the white car in our gallery) create a meaner look.

    Inside, there’s a new cloth fabric for the seats and a piano black finish has been applied to the centre console, along with a chrome surrounds on the various buttons. Opt for the Professional sat-nav system and you get a 8.8-inch screen (6.5-inch screen is standard), while climate control is standard. The self-parking function has been updated to include bay parking, as well as parallel parking, while radar-based active cruise control, with stop and go function, is also now offered.

    The engine range is taken largely from BMW’s new modular engine family, so has plenty in common with the new MINI. The most efficient model is the 116d EfficientDynamics Plus model, powered by the same 114bhp 1.5-litre three cylinder diesel as the 116d, but with a range of aero and efficiency tweaks. It returns 83.1mpg and 89g/km (116d returns 78.5mpg and 94g/km, with 0-62mph in 10.3 seconds).

    A new 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel is available in three states of tune – the 148bhp 118d, the 187bhp 120d and the 221bhp 125d capable of 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds. The 118d returns 74.3mpg, while the 125d manages 61.4mpg. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on every model except the 120d xDrive, which gets a revised eight-speed auto.

    The petrol range kicks off with the 118i and 120i, both powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with 134bhp and 168bhp respectively. The 120i uses a 215bhp 2.0-litre petrol and cover 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, but it’s outmuscled by the M135i, now powered by a 321bhp (5bhp more than before) turbocharged straight-six allowing it to cover 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds.

   Three trim levels are available – SE, Sport and M Sport, with prices starting at £20,245 for the three-door 118i SE, and £20,775 for the five-door 118i SE.