What they said when the BMW 1-Series was new… (Aug 3 2004)
THERE'S one very good reason why car makers the world over have put their faith in front wheel drive...space.
Put the engine and all the mechanical gubbins which make the wheels go round up front and you can get the proverbial quart into a pint pot of an interior.
Dispense with a prop shaft, a transmission tunnel to accommodate it, rear differential and drive shafts and your interior designers can have a field day with the space which is freed up.
Front wheel drive has helped turn interior packaging into an art form and given small family hatchbacks a Tardis-like quality with cabin space which belies their compact exterior dimensions.
But space is not the final frontier as far as BMW is concerned.
The German company's first ever small hatchback is so tight on back seat leg room that it's bordering on a two-plus-two. Access through the narrow back doors isn't that brilliant either - but BMW doesn't reckon that will detract from its appeal. The reasoning is twofold...
Most importantly, BMW refused point blank to abandon the traditional North-South mounted, front engine, rear wheel drive layout which has helped earn its cars' reputation as the ultimate driving machines.
Secondly the company's marketing gurus don't believe that typical customers for the new 1 Series will be too bothered by the lack of legroom in the rear. "How many Golfs and A3s do you see on the motorway with more than two people on board?" asks a spokesman.
They believe that buyers will be more interested in their new car's dynamic qualities ... and it has those in plenty.
It drives beautifully with the sporting character and perfect balance you would expect from a Beemer.
Weight distribution is an almost perfect 50/50 split between front and rear wheels - again achieved at the expense of interior space and practicality by pushing the engine well back and mounting the battery under the boot floor.
The steering feels weighty at low speeds, but get the 1 Series singing on a country road and it comes into its own - delightfully weighted, neutral, pin-point accurate and requiring the merest flick from the driver to make the most of the car's tremendous reserves of grip, agility and flat cornering attitude.
This smallest Beemer sits low to the ground and there's no obvious body roll through fast, open bends. Nor is there any torque steer when you put the pedal to the metal out of a slow corner - another advantage over front wheel drive competitors.
The suspension is taut and performance orientated and both ride and noise suppression are generally fine on well maintained roads. On poorer surfaces, however, it can become choppy and noisy - perhaps down to the stiffer than normal sidewalls of the run flat tyres which are fitted as standard, enabling the car to be sold without a spare wheel.
In all the chassis feels well able to handle a lot more power than is available from the launch range of 1.6 and two-litre petrol and 1.8 and two-litre diesels.
If you're looking for performance, the two-litre diesel in the 120d is the pick of the bunch with a 0-62mph of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 137mph. More importantly, it has a massive 340lb/ft of torque or pulling power available from only 2,000rpm, enabling the driver to fully exploit the car's chassis and making it a delicious proposition on cross-country routes. Price-wise, however, you're almost into 3 Series territory at £18,850.
So who said this was going to be the budget-priced BMW?
Well, that'll be the 116i which costs from £15,690. It has a 0-62 time of 10.8 seconds and a 125mph maximum.
In between are the oil-burning 118d at £17,340 (0-62 in 10 secs with a 125mph max) and the petrol-engined 120i at £18,320 with a sprint time of 8.7 seconds and a maximum of 135mph.
Surprisingly, on the road, the smaller diesel doesn't seem to give much away to its two-litre sibling while the bigger of the two petrol units doesn't impress as much as the extra 35bhp over the 1.6 might suggest it should. The 1.6 is the only model in the range with a five-speed box which feels slicker than the six-shifter used by its siblings.
The 1 Series comes in either standard, SE or Sport trim and the prices quoted here are for standard versions which come with six airbags, ABS, dynamic and traction control systems, CD player, on board computer, powered front windows and door mirrors, central locking, push-button starter, height adjustable front seats and height and rake adjustable steering columns.
It's all packaged within a neatly trimmed, functional interior which just oozes quality.
You'll pay an extra £1,950 for SE spec which adds alloys, climate control aircon, front fogs, auto-dimming interior mirror, leather steering wheel with multifunction controls and rear parking sensors. Sport trim costs £1,850 and includes sports suspension and seats.
Few people, though, are expected to pay the standard price for the 1 Series and many will dip into the extensive list of options and extras packs which can take the price soaring and which is where BMW makes its money.
Not that the standard car is poorly equipped, but when you have to pay £30 extra for a cup-holder - it's true - or a stonking £105 for a front centre armrest, it seems stingy in the extreme.
But the fact of the matter is that people are prepared to pay for the privilege of owing a car with that distinctive and highly valued blue and white roundel.
And to be fair to BMW, the quality of the goods usually justifies the outlay.
The 1 Series may be short on back seat leg room - although headroom and boot storage aren't too bad at all - but this car is a dynamic dream which will not disappoint those who put performance first and who appreciate fine engineering and entertaining driving.
The biggest disappointment for potential buyers will come when they dash with the cash to their local dealers when the car goes on sale on September 18.
This year's allocation is already sold out. Says it all, really.
Words: David Whinyates
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