Car of the Year Awards 2023: Best family car interior

You have to spend a bit more over mainstream rivals to get a BMW 1 Series, but its interior continues to outshine that of every other car in the class.

For starters, the styling of the dashboard mimics larger BMWs, so it doesn’t look like a budget option in the model range. It also feels more solidly constructed than the Mercedes-Benz A-Class’s interior and uses more appealing materials than you’ll find in the Audi A3.

The digital instrument panel and the central infotainment touchscreen both have sharp graphics that are easy to read. Better still, you get a rotary controller between the front seats to make operating the infotainment system far less distracting than in touchscreen-only rivals.

The 1 Series can’t match the Honda Civic for rear leg room and width when you need to squeeze in a third passenger, but our favourite M Sport trim does come with additional ambient lighting, so you can still enjoy it all when driving after dark.

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