The 1 you want
A true BMW and seriously hot hatchback for the driving enthusiast
Great handling, silky smooth engine, more interior space than expected 
Buyers looking for more luxury appointments within might be disappointed BMW’s 1-Series took a long time to get here, but was it worth the wait?
By Lionel Kong
YOU PROBABLY HAVE heard that the 1-Series isn’t a new thing. It’s been around for close to four years in the rest of the world, and is now making its appearance here finally. It’s hard to avoid the comparison, but BMW looks like it’s learnt from the Mercedes-Benz school of product management and is stuffing a niche model into every conceivable category to target every conceivable car buyer out there. The 1-Series itself is a perfect example: the car comes in coupe, convertible, five and three-door hatchback flavours.
The 130i three-door hatchback is the most powerful of the lot that we’re getting here, and because BMW has retained its classic longitudinal engine layout with rear-wheel drive, the car looks, well, muscular but slightly dumpy. Or more positively, you could say that the car looks fast, with much of the visual bulk pushed towards the rear thanks to the long bonnet.
The length of the nose is necessary to house the big 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine in an optimal position, and this is the main reason that the main cabin sits slightly further back than usual.
It’s a proper hatchback rather than a liftback or a coupe, which means that the rear seats do actually fit regular adults rather than just pets and children.
The test car came fully equipped with BMW’s M Sports suspension package, an M steering wheel, subtle side skirts and even chrome M door sills. In typical Teutonic style, these are there more for driver enjoyment than pose value. They don’t shout out to onlookers, but having it is where it really counts.
