BMW 1 Series shake up

•, New three-door and improved engines
•, Five-door model also face-lifted
•, Prices yet to be announced

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BMW overhauls its 1 Series range this March with a new three-door version, engine improvements and face-lifted five-door model.

There’s not much separating the new three-door from the five-door - both have the same profile and overall dimensions, so the only difference lies in the length of the front doors and the position of the B-pillar.

Tyres with lower rolling resistance, six-speed gearboxes, regenerative brakes and new valve and injection technology help to improve performance and efficiency across the range.

The 118i petrol in particular benefits from substantial improvements, a 0-62mph time of 8.8sec bettering its predecessor by 0.6sec. Fuel consumption is massively improved too, however, now more than 10mpg better than before at 47.9mpg.

The 118d diesel is 1.0sec faster than before at 9.0sec, while lower fuel consumption of 60.1mpg makes it BMW's most fuel-efficient model ever.

An automatic start/stop function that cuts the engine in traffic joins the option list for those who want to make more savings at the pump.

The five-door car takes the look of the new three-door, which means a new front bumper with larger grille, more chrome detailing and updated headlights. The rear bumper and tail lights are also slightly remodelled.

Prices are yet to be announced, but we anticipate modest increases over the current range.