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BMW’s most affordable model has just been given a significant makeover.
The 1 Series hatchback has been overhauled for 2025, with refreshed styling, a new interior, tweaked underpinnings, a big uptick in standard gear and a name change.
BMW has dropped the ‘i’ from its model grade names, starting with the new 1 Series, but the change will be rolled out to all internal combustion engine models at their next major facelift or new-generation changeover. BMW will reserve the ‘i’ badge for electric models, like the i4, iX3 and so on.
That means the largely unchanged model line-up will shift from being known as '118i' and 'M135i xDrive' to 118 and M135 xDrive. An updated version of the mid-range 128ti warm hatch is yet to be announced.
The underpinnings are carryover so it still rides on BMW Group’s UKL2 front and all-wheel-drive platform that forms the basis of the 2 Series Gran Coupe, X1, X2 and new Mini Countryman, albeit with some tweaks.
It is 42mm longer and 25mm taller than before, owing to the design changes, but maintains the same wheelbase and width.
BMW has updated the exterior design to give the 1 Series a new lease on life. It gets a fresh front-end design with an elongated, flat nose, completely redesigned ‘kidney’ grille that adopts a more horizontal vibe than other BMW models, and a new integrated black lower air intake.
The headlight design is new and both grades come standard with LED matrix adaptive tech.
The silhouette remains much the same and the most obvious link to the previous model are the doors which are carryover. The rear end gets a neat tweak as well, with new LED tail-lights that are reminiscent of the latest X2, and a fresh tailgate design. The M135 gains a quad exhaust - something that used to be reserved for full-fat M cars like the M3.
Other interesting design features include the embossed ‘1’ on the C-pillar as well as a long spoiler and a black roof for the M135. The 118 has 18-inch M light alloys and the M135 has 19-inch two-tone wheels.
Inside the 1 Series adopts the cabin design from the new X1 and X2 SUVs, with a touch of the old model. The dash gains BMW’s Curved Display, which integrates a 10.25 digital instrument display with a 10.7-inch multimedia setup. The latest iDrive runs Operating System 9 and it is customisable to allow for your favourite apps and functions to be front and centre.
As part of the refresh, the 1 Series cabin is close to button-free, with most functions housed in the screens. It is also leather-free with BMW only offering synthetic leather this time around.
The 118 uses a carryover 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with increased power and torque of 115kW (+12kW) and 230Nm (+10Nm).
Powering the M135 xDrive is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, offering up 233kW and 400Nm - this represents a power increase of 8kW but a drop of 50Nm of torque.
The likely reason for this is the introduction of a new transmission - the eight-speed transmission is gone in favour of a seven-speed shifter that drives all four wheels. As a result, the 0-100km/h dash time for the M135 is down by 0.1 sec to 4.9sec.
Other changes under the skin include measures to improve the rigidity of the body structure, as well as ride and steering.
BMW has also made sure to include a lot more items as standard for the new 1 Series. The previous 118i was criticised for lacking some gear as standard, but this time features like heated seating and a full suite of active safety gear are standard across the range.
It also comes with DAB+ digital radio, a head-up display, the M Sport package, adaptive M suspension, automatic tailgate, keyless entry and start, power front seat adjustment with memory function for the driver and wireless charging.
The M135 adds sports seat with a massage function for both front passengers, panoramic glass sunroof, black roof, metallic blue painted calipers, Harman Kardon sound system and more safety tech.
The safety tech from 118 up includes front collision warning with brake function, lane change and departure warning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, rear cross-traffic alert, speed limit warning and an exit warning.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed but given the serious uptick in standard specification, you can expect at least a slight bump up in price.
The outgoing 1 Series that went on sale in Australia in mid-2020 is priced at $54,800 before on-road costs for the 118i and tops out at $76,600 for the M135i.
BMW will reveal pricing in July and the new 1 Series will be in dealerships by the end of 2024.
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