2023 BMW 1 Series
About the 2023 BMW 1 Series
Last updated Jun 07, 2024The BMW 1 Series is the German automaker's entry-level offering in the local line-up. It's the second top-selling small luxury car in Australia.
The 1er is only available in hatchback form and is powered by a range of turbocharged petrol engines.
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.9 - 7.5 L / 100km |
|---|---|
| ANCAP Rating | 5-star |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Summary
High-end cabin presentation
Much more practical than the old 1er
Punchy turbo engine
Generic drive experience
Lacking features expected of the price point
Still can't match old 1er's rear-drive dynamics
Price & Specs
News
1 Series Range Guide
The 118i comes standard with the following features:
- M Sport package
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- DAB+ digital radio
- Satellite navigation
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Six-speaker sound system
- Wireless phone charging*
- Semi-autonomous parking assist
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Colour-adjustable ambient lighting
- Cloth-Sensatec black upholstery
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- Automatic headlights
- LED headlights and tail lights
- LED front fog lights
- Automatic stop/start
- Single-zone climate control
- Rain-sensing window wipers
- Cruise control with braking function
Features with an ‘*’ next to it are temporarily unavailable due to semiconductor shortages.
The 118i Sport adds the following:
- Solid black paint
- 17-inch Orbit Grey alloy wheels
- Sport Line styling
- Front sport seats
- Cloth/Sensatec upholstery
The 128ti removes the front LED fog lights and adds:
- Limited-slip differential on the front axle
- M Sport brakes with red-painted brake calipers
- Adaptive LED headlights with auto high beam
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- M rear spoiler
- Dual exhaust pipes
- Cloth-Sensatec black with red stitching upholstery
- Velour floor mats with red stitching
- Keyless entry with push-button start
- M coloured seat belts
- Electrically adjusted driver and passenger seats
- Memory for driver seat
- Dual-zone climate control
The M135i xDrive Pure removes the adaptive LED headlights with auto high-beam and adds:
- M Sport steering
- M Sport brakes with blue-painted brake calipers
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- M Aerodynamics package with Cerium Grey mirror caps, grille frame, and mesh inserts for the grille and front bumper air inlets.
- Cloth-Alcantara black upholstery
- M Sport seats with integrated headrests
- Head-up display
The M135i xDrive adds:
- Adaptive LED headlights with auto high beam
- Panoramic glass sunroof
- Black ‘Dakota’ leather upholstery
- 16-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system
Compare
Interior
BMW cabin design and materials have always been first class, but in an understated way. The new 1 Series raises that quality to a new level with a tasteful blend of different materials that make it feel 100 per cent premium.
Even in the entry-level 118i, the combination faux leather and fabric seats look special with comfort and support to boot. Honestly, besides the all-leather interior, it’s hard to pick the base model apart from its top-shelf sibling.
There’s also good use of space, given the new model is taller and wider than the previous version. In this case, that’s more cargo space, shoulder and legroom.
In the second row, there’s more room for normal-sized people than the previous generation. That move from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive has afforded more space in the back and the boot.
Air vents, USB-C charge points and map pockets headline the rear amenities, as well as bottle holders in the doors. There’s no fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, however, but there are ISOFIX anchors and top-tether points for child seats.
Infotainment is yet another strong point of the 1er’s cabin, with BMW OS7.0 providing an upmarket and sophisticated interface which is not only easy to use but quick to respond, pretty to look at, and well featured.
There’s so spare tyre – full-size or space-saver. Instead a tyre repair kit is included.
Exterior
This is the first generation of 1 Series to use a front-/all-wheel drive architecture, with all previous generations using a rear-wheel drive platform.
All BMW 1ers have a conventional hatchback silhouette with a modest kidney grille unlike other offerings in BMWs line-up.
128ti models receive model-specific exterior decals and elements, as well as dual exhaust pipes, M Sport brakes with red brake calipers.
M135i xDrive models get additional model-specific M aerodynamic elements, grey elements, larger dual exhaust pipes, and M Sport brakes with blue brake calipers.
Full-fat M135i xDrive models can be distinguished compared to Pure models by the panoramic glass sunroof.
There are a range of 17-, 18-, and 19-inch alloy wheels available.
1 Series Photo Gallery
1 Series Colours
The BMW 1 Series is available in the following exterior paint colours:
- Alpine White
- Black Sapphire (+$1308)
- Melbourne Red (+$1308)
- M Misano Blue (+$1308)
- Skyscraper Grey (+$1308)
- Storm Bay metallic (+$2000)
- Frozen Pure Grey metallic (+$3846)
The 118i Sport is only available in solid black paint.
Cost of Ownership
BMW offers two different capped-price servicing costs on the 1 Series. A five-year, 80,000km Basic plan is $1650, while the Plus plan costs $4340.
The Plus plan includes replacement brake pads and discs, clutch discs and plates, as well as wiper blades.
The company continues to offer a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, whereas many rival brands have moved on to five-year warranties.
How it Drives
While there are plenty of motorcycles with more power straight out of the box, it would be too simple to assume the entry-level 1 Series might be underpowered. It’s categorically incorrect.
Give the throttle a solid prod from a set of traffic lights and there’s plenty of go. There’s a decent sound to it, too, as there often is with three-cylinder engines.
Once you’re off and running though, there’s a smoothness and refinement to this three-cylinder powertrain befitting its luxury positioning.
Don’t count on a whole lot of feel from the steering, which doesn’t give much back to the driver, though I do like the weighting. On the other hand braking is solid, with good feel and progression from the pedal.
It feels solid in the corners too, even travelling at the maximum legal speeds in these parts. There’s more body bracing in this new model and you can feel the extra stiffness keeping the car in check when you’re leaning on it.
In the 128ti, the 2.0-litre turbo and eight-speed auto are a good pairing, shifting snappily on the move and allowing good control via the steering-mounted paddles.
Performance from the turbo’d four is strong, and the beefy mid-range means you can ride the 128ti’s torque band (380Nm on tap from 1500-4400rpm) making it a pretty effortless everyday driver. It also means it has plenty of shove when you’re giving it a go.
What isn’t so great is the occasional low-speed behaviour of the transmission, which I’ve noted countless times with BMW’s eight-speeders. It never seems to respond how you want it to, either being too lazy or too eager.
Further, the ride is quite choppy even by hot hatch standards. You feel every road imperfection and undulation, and it’s ‘engaging’ or ‘connected’ until it becomes tiresome and annoying. It’s not completely crashy but a layer of adjustability to the M Sport suspension in the form of adaptive damping would be welcome.
In the M135i xDrive, if it wasn’t for the smattering of BMW badges and the cabin layout, which is distinctly BMW in design, I probably would have thought I was driving a Mini. Yes, they obviously share mechanical hardware, but that rear-drive BMW DNA that was so great in the previous generation has been lost, and it’s worse off for it.
There’s plenty of grip courtesy of the xDrive all-wheel drive system, but drive it hard and it doesn’t always inspire confidence.
Performance in a straight line is very muscular, as you’d expect given the outputs and all-paw running gear. However, like I mentioned earlier, there’s nothing about it that screams BMW to you.
The M135i feels marginally more comfortable than the 128ti I sampled around the same time, though it’s still quite firm for daily use in the city. You feel most imperfections in the road with the standard chassis setup, though opting for the adaptive dampers would add more adjustability.
1 Series Safety Rating
ANCAP awarded the BMW 1 Series a five-star safety rating when tested in 2019.
It received 83 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 76 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 73 per cent for safety assist.
All 2022 BMW 1 Series come standard with the following safety features:
- Front, front-side and curtain airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking at city speeds
- Front and rear collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Reversing camera
1 Series Lifecycle
The third-generation F40 1 Series launched in 2019 and was the first generation to use a front-/all-wheel drive architecture.
In October 2021, BMW Australia confirmed that an updated M135i xDrive will arrive Down Under in the first quarter of 2022.
The updated M135i xDrive is unchanged on the outside and doesn't produce any more power but has more camber on the front wheels, a new mount for the front suspension wishbones, and redesigned rear trailing and control arms.
1 Series Options
BMW has an extensive list of optional extras and packages for the 1 Series.
The Executive package (118i, 128ti and M135i xDrive) adds:
- Alarm system
- Sun protection glazing
- Gesture control
- HiFi loudspeaker sound system (118i and 128ti only)
- Tyre pressure monitoring (128ti and M135i only)
The Comfort package (118i, 128ti and M135i xDrive) adds:
- Keyless entry and start
- Electrically adjustable front seats with electric lumbar adjustment
- Heated front seats
- Heated steering wheel (128ti and M135i xDrive only)
The Enhancement package (118i and 128ti) adds:
- Metallic paint
- 19-inch black alloy wheels
- Panoramic glass sunroof
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go (128ti only)
The Driver Assistance package (118i) adds:
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Matrix LED headlights with auto high-beam
- Tyre pressure monitor
The M Sport Plus package (118i) adds:
- M Sports seats for driver and front passenger
- M rear spoiler
- M coloured seat belts
- M Sports steering
- M Sport brakes with red-painted brake calipers
The M Performance package (M135i xDrive) adds:
- Black grille frame and mesh insert, mirror caps and exhaust tailpipe finishes
- 18-inch alloy wheels
BMW Australia indicates the Enhancement, Driver Assistance and M Sport Plus packages may temporarily be unavailable due to production restrictions. It says to consult your local BMW dealer for further information.
1 Series Warranty
The 2023 BMW 1 had a 5 year, unlimited km warranty.
1 Series Stock Availability
For the most part, stock of the BMW 1 Series seems to be okay according to BMW's stock locator.
BMW has been temporarily removing a number of different features from the 1 Series so it can produce and ship the cars quicker.
"We are working closely with our dealer partners to provide alternative solutions for our customers to minimise wait time," said a BMW Australia spokesperson.
"This process is supported by the high degree of customisation of our vehicles."
1 Series Infotainment
BMW’s excellent OS7.0 infotainment system is standard on the 1 Series. You can read more about that here.
1 Series Boot Space
With the rear seats upright the 1 Series has a boot capacity of 380L, expanding to 1200L with the rear seats folded.
1 Series Fuel Economy
Claimed combined cycle fuel economy figures for the 2022 BMW 1 Series are as follows:
- 118i: 5.9L/100km
- 128ti: 6.8L/100km
- M135i xDrive Pure: 7.5L/100km
- M135i xDrive: 7.5L/100km
118i models require 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, whereas the rest of the range requires 98 RON.
All models have a 50L fuel tank.
Depending on the variant, view the 2023 BMW 1 fuel usage below.
All Highway, City, and Combined figures below are litres per 100km
| Variant | Series | Style | Fuel Type | Highway | City | Combined | E10? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18i M SPORT | F40 | 5D HATCHBACK | PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 5.9 | - |
| 28ti | F40 | 5D HATCHBACK | PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 6.8 | - |
| M135i xDRIVE | F40 | 5D HATCHBACK | PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 7.5 | - |
1 Series Dimensions
The 2022 BMW 1 Series measures 1799mm wide, 1434mm tall and 4319mm long with a 2670mm wheelbase.
The 2023 BMW 1 measures 4319mm long, 1799mm wide and 1434mm tall, with a 2670mm tall wheelbase.
The 2023 BMW 1 has a braked towing capacity of 1300kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 680kg.
1 Series Market Fit
The BMW 1 Series competes in the small luxury car segment and goes head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Mini five-door hatch, and the Audi A3.
The 128ti competes against the likes of the Ford Focus ST, Renault Megane RS and Volkswagen Golf FTI.
The high-performance M135i xDrive models compete against the Audi S3, Mercedes-AMG A35 and Volkswagen Golf R.
1 Series Sales Data
In 2021, BMW sold a total of 2741 1 Series models.
As the second top-selling model, it was outsold by the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (3793 sales).
It did outsell the Mini Hatch (1866 sales), Mini Clubman (342 sales), and Audi A3 (220 sales) though.
Should you buy the 1 Series
As a daily driver, the entry-level BMW 1 Series makes a lot of sense.
The 128ti in isolation it’s a fun, sporty little hatchback, and it retains core BMW strengths like interior quality, comfort and interior technology.
However, it’s let down by somewhat expensive options, a ride that may be too firm for some in daily use, and the fact that enthusiasts like myself will always lust for a rear-drive BMW driving experience. Again, this feels more like a big Mini and less like a small BMW to drive.
With the M135i xDrive, while it looks racy inside and out, and has an engine with the outputs and exhaust note to put a smile on your face, the M Performance version of BMW’s smallest passenger model doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself from rival front-biased AWD hot hatches, and lacks the character of something like a Mini JCW Hatch or JCW Clubman.
There’s no disputing its performance or premium cabin, but the M135i doesn’t offer the tech or all-round usability of an Audi S3 or VW Golf R, nor can it blow any of its direct rivals out of the water in terms of straight-line performance or corner-carving ability.
Competitor Analysis
The BMW 1 Series has a number of competitors because the 1er spans from a turbo three-cylinder powertrain, to a high-output turbo four-cylinder with all-wheel drive.
The most obvious of competitors is the Mercedes-Benz A-Class which is also the German automaker's entry-level offering.
Both the BMW and Mercedes offer high-end, premium-looking interiors with elements of soft-touch materials and metal accents.
Option lists on both the 1er and A-Class are quite extensive and can get expensive if you get trigger happy.
The 1 Series also gets cross-shopped with the BMW X1, X2, Mini five-door hatch, and Clubman which all share the same UKL platform.
BMW 128ti models have a sportier edge and compete against the likes of the Ford Focus ST, Renault Megane RS and Volkswagen Golf GTI. The 128ti though offers a more premium-feeling interior though.
The Focus ST is arguably just as focused and packs a lot more technology as standard, while the Golf GTI is more comfortable day-to-day with similar performance.
Range-topping M135i xDrive models compete against the likes of the Audi S3, Mercedes-AMG A35, and Volkswagen Golf R.
At this end of the 1 Series range, it can get quite expensive and is missing features that are expected of the price point.
The M135i xDrive though doesn't offer the tech or all-round usability of an Audi S3 or Volkswagen Golf R, nor can it blow any of its direct rivals out of the water in terms of straight-line performance or corner-carving ability.
BMW 1 Series Interesting Facts
Just like early models of the Ford Model T, BMW is currently offering a special edition 118i Sport model that's only available in solid black paint.
Frequently Asked Questions
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