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Car of the Year Awards 2023: Best family car interior

There are several types of family car, but here we’re looking at traditional hatchbacks: large enough to be practical, yet compact enough to be easy and enjoyable to drive...

Best family car interior

BMW 1 Series 118i M Sport auto

Car of the Year 2023 NOCO logo

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.

BMW 1 Series 2022 interior dashboard

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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