New BMW 1 Series and 2 Series out to banish doubt further

BMW's smallest models have finally arrived in a slimmed-down model range, still topped by the respective M Performance '35' variants.
The initiator of what BMW today calls its Compact Class of models, the 1 Series, famously got off to a less than stellar, never mind reception, at its world debut in Paris almost 21 years ago.
Rocky history
Munich's answer to the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the heavily criticised E87 1 Series steady improved towards the latter stages of its lifecycle, with the unveiling of the second generation F20 in 2012 marking the first split in the smallest BMW's line-up.
ALSO READ: BMW slips new 1 Series pricing ahead of fourth quarter reveal
Introduced two years after the F20, the 2 Series heralded the change by becoming the moniker for all coupe, cabriolet and later four-door Gran Coupe variants instead of remaining part of the 1 Series catalogue.
An approach that has been in-place ever since, the controversy surrounding the Compact Class didn't stop though as the third generation F40 eschewed BMW's rear-wheel-drive tradition for front-wheel-drive using the UKL2 platform from sister brand, Mini.
1 Series range starts off with the 118.
Adopted by the 2 Series Gran Coupe and the now discontinued Active Tourer after 2019, the debuts of the present-day F70 1 Series and F74 2 Series last year brought a better devised line-up consolidation to a product range that has so amassed combined sales of three-million units since 2004.
The Compact Class
As such, the Compact Class consists of three variants: the 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe based on the UKL2 or in BMW-speak FAAR platform with a choice of front-wheel-drive or xDrive all-wheel-drive, and the 2 Series Coupe (G42) that rides on the rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive CLAR architecture.
Confirmed for South Africa at the beginning of this year, the official launch of the F70 and F74 this past week, which started on the outskirts of Sandton and ended on the Free State side of the Vaal River, involved two M Sport modes, plus the potent M135 and M235 variants.
Line-up explained
Adopting a distinct dropsnout appearance not resplendent on any other current BMW, both the 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe ranges offer a choice of four models and two engines each, none with the inclusion of electrical assistance as in Europe.
In addition, a turbodiesel option won't be available anytime soon, with the same applying to an 'in-between' petrol variant.
M Sport attired 218 comes with a bit more practicality.
As such, the line-up starts off with the 118 and 218, both using the familiar 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine.
An engine option unique to South Africa as the European range commences with the 120, the three-cylinder, which, like the M135 and M235 loses the 'i' nameplate suffix that now denotes electrification and no longer fuel injection as it always did, produces 115kW/230Nm that goes to the front axle via the seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch transmission.
For the M135 and M235, the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol from the previous generations has been retained, still offering 233kW/400Nm.
M Sport seats in the M235i and M135 can be had in leather-free Verganza upholstery.
A sports-optimised version of the Steptronic 'box is entrusted with sending the amount of twist to all four wheels.
Whereas the former pair will top-out at 226 km/h, the M135 and M235 will hit the electronic buffers at 250 km/h and get from 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds versus the 118's 8.5 seconds and the 118 Gran Coupe's 8.6 seconds respectively.
The drive
1 Series
Starting with the 118, the blown three-cylinder proved surprising as it did during the launch of the new Mini Countryman Cooper C last year.
Comparatively quiet, the unit offers just enough urge for the 118 not to feel underpowered, while emitting a decidedly sporty soundtrack not normally associated with a run of the mill three-cylinder.
Inside, all models come standard with BMW's latest Curved Display consisting of a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and the 10.7-inch iDrive infotainment system with the new 9.0 operating system.
Red 12 o'clock marking on the steering wheel and M logos on the dashboard a few traits unique to the M135 and M235 Gran Coupe.
Incorporating the now customary minimalist design, the interior feels largely plush, but lowers its standard below the infotainment system with clunky sounding plastics and a cheap feel on the centre console.
In a first for both models, the gear lever makes for a toggle switch and the rotary iDrive controller departs completely as the sole interface now comes via the display itself.
While liveable, the cabin feels somewhat pinched up front and as a result of the panoramic sunroof, rear headroom all but disappears for taller folk.
Boot of the 1 Series can take 380-litres with the rear seats in place.
What's more, the display also doubles up as the climate control portal. Although unsurprising, using the touch-sensitive inputs proved better than the 'manual' adjustment of the air vents.
Carried over from the 5 Series, the rocker switches that regulates air flow are finicky and the air vents themselves mounted too low to provide sufficient cooling or heating without turning the delivery speed to almost maximum.
In typical BMW fashion, the M Sport suspension results in a firmer than normal ride that become unsettling on badly patched sections of the launch launch route around Meyerton.
All models come standard with the latest
Curved Display.
Switching to the M135 came with the same conclusion, however, the firmer M Sport seats provide good support, but will become uncomfortable after prolonged distances.
Unsurprisingly, poking the M135 sees it respond immediately and with Sport mode engaged, involving and more than ready to play.
As with the 118, the M135 comes with BMW's M PowerBoost setting. Requiring the left-hand gear shift paddle to be held down, the literal boost sees the full amount of power and torque being unleashed in one shot of 10 seconds.
Unlikely to be used frequently in the 118, the system felt unnecessary in the M135 as leaving to car in Sport or to its own devices, made it feel quick enough.
2 Series
For the second part of the trek back to Sandton, sampling the M235 came with a different feel to the M135.
At 4 546 mm, the Gran Coupe measures 185 mm longer, with its height dropping by 14 mm to 1 445 mm. Overall width and wheelbase are both identical at 1 800 mm and 2 670 mm respectively.
Thundernight Metallic paint option has been passed from the M240i Coupe to the M235 Gran Coupe.
Unsurprisingly more practical with 430-litres of boot space versus the 1 Series' 380-litres with the rear seats down, the M235 felt more composed and rode slightly softer than the M135 despite the same profile tyre and M suspension.
As with its sibling, the M235, and for that matter 218, feel similarly cramped at the rear despite the additional length, though confusingly, not as tight for those seated up front.
Deeper boot of the 2 Series Gran Coupe can hold 430-litres.
Switching the 218 for the final stretch, the lesser 2 Series Gran Coupe, again, felt the opposite of its 1 Series sibling by being a smidgen peppier, more comfortable and a bit more satisfying to drive.
Still as comfortable as the 118, with buyers having the choice of a number of material options ranging from imitation leather to the new recyclable Econeer and leather-free Veganza, the 218 Gran Coupe came as the biggest surprise despite is inherent lack of performance associated with the 'more powerful and faster is always better' M235.
Conclusion
While about as far removed from their first generation predecessors, the latest BMW 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe still come beset with quirks buyers looking to upgrade would have expected to have rectified.
Still engaging and with the BMW badge on its snout, both will continue to have their attractors more than willing to sign on the dotted line for the still seen privilege of owning a BMW regardless of where it fits in on the model front.
Price
1 Series
118 Steptronic – R713 395
118 Pure Design Steptronic – R761 895
118 M Sport Steptronic – R801 895
M135 xDrive Steptronic – R982 767
2 Series Gran Coupe
218 Steptronic – R733 559
218 Pure Design Steptronic – R787 059
218 M Sport Steptronic – R827 059
M235 xDrive Steptronic – R1 043 099
NOW READ: BMW 1 Series morphs into booted new 2 Series Gran Coupe

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

IOL News

13 hours ago

• IOL News

Driving impressions: Why the BMW X3 20d xDrive M Sport stands out in the SUV market

The BMW X3 is a crucial mid-sized SUV for the Munich-based company and remains one of its top sellers and is also the most popular model in South Africa. Recently I was on the N1 driving to Johannesburg when I passed three trucks carrying proudly made in South Africa vehicles. There's a tinge of pride knowing that a load of Nissan Navaras, Ford Rangers and BMW X3s are on their way to foreign lands, the fact that they're on trucks and not on rail for reasons we all know notwithstanding. I happened to be testing the BMW X3 20d xDrive M Sport at the time and knew that the new owners would be well pleased. The X3 is a crucial mid-sized SUV for the Munich-based company and remains one of its top sellers and is also the most popular model in South Africa. With its overall refinement it's not difficult to understand why. Exterior Now in its fourth iteration and first launched in 2003, it has aged well, and as the generations have progressed, it has grown considerably in size, so much so that a friend that had the second generation years ago hardly recognised it. It's taken a while, but the large distinctive kidney grill seems to be less polarising than when it first saw the light and it actually suits this year's Car of the Year. Because it's such an important model for the brand they have tinkered too much with the exterior. It now sports more angular lines and what BMW calls a monolithic appearance and while personally I prefer the previous generation's look, the new X3 is one of those cars that look better in the metal than in pictures. The rear sports a flush-mounted window with a long roof spoiler and under the flared wheel arches it stands on attractive 19-inch alloys. Engine The BMW four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine stands out as one of the best motors ever made and in the X3 produces 145kW and 400Nm coupled to a 48V mild hybrid system adding an additional 8kW and 25Nm for short bursts. It's connected to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission driving all four wheels. Interior As you would expect, the interior is very much a glass screen and premium affair with an abundance of illuminated surfaces. While it looks pretty cool, especially at night in the different driving modes, I can't help thinking that it comes across as one of those flashing disco-type speakers sold at the China Mall. I mean, is a flashing red light bar across the dash when the hazard lights are in use really necessary? Regular touchpoints and plastic bits are covered with recycled materials which look like they'll stand the test of time, especially since the X3 is likely to be a family's main mode of transport. The door-mounted ventilation controls, however, felt flimsy and spoiled an otherwise well cocooned and solid cabin. Fitted with BMW Operating System 9, the infotainment system though is still a bit clumsy and not particularly user friendly. It's not the most intuitive system with most settings including the air conditioning requiring some form of double tap to get to the right menu. It's mitigated somewhat with the iDrive system with QuickSelect that allows functions to be activated directly without having to enter a submenu or using your voice to adjust certain functions. Fortunately the volume can still be adjusted via a dial.

The Citizen

5 days ago

• The Citizen

Frugal and fast BMW X3 20d proves that diesel is not dead yet

SUV well-priced offering in the premium segment inhabited by Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Because I have been around a while and by that I mean like forever, I was there when all everybody could talk about was diesel. If you didn't have diesel vehicles in your portfolio, you were struggling as a motor manufacturer. This was a time when diesel was the clever option. You didn't buy an oil-burner to show off. You bought it because you were the guy who could drive from Joburg to Cape Town on one tank. BMW keeps the faith Diesel was efficient, torquey and sensible. And then people decided that battery electric vehicles is the thing that was going to save the world. Conveniently ignoring how the batteries are made and that we burn coal to produce electricity to charge these batteries. And that's how diesel ended up in the naughty corner. But thankfully BMW didn't get the memo. Because here we are in 2025 and The Citizen Motoring has just spent a week driving the new G45 X3 20d xDrive M Sport. The idea being to figure out if diesel still has a place in a world that wants everything to plug in, light up, and talk back. And I can say without a doubt it absolutely does. The oil-burner offers the best of both worlds. Picture: Supplied Most of this sentiment is because under the bonnet is BMW's long serving, much-loved, tried-and-tested 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel. It is now paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system to help it not only meet emissions regulations, but to also provide a little extra urge when wanted. Talking of which, you have 145kW of power and 400Nm of torque on tap that runs through an eight-speed auto box to the xDrive all-wheel drive set-up. ALSO READ: PODCAST: Why all-new BMW X3 is just what the doctor ordered BMW X3 20d easy on the juice The BMW X3 20d's forte is gobbling up open road kilometres with absolute ease and returning real world fuel consumption figures that easily live around the mid 6-litres per 100 kilometres and offer close on 1 000 kilometres per tank. But it is also rather brisk for what is seen as the baby of the new BMW X3 range. Not that I think this aspect of my review will interest you too much if you are an out and petrolhead as this is more what the X3 M50 is about. But we had this BMW X3 20d at Gerotek and it hit 100km/h in 7.9 seconds, only just off BMW's claim of 7.7-seconds. Top speed is said to be 215km/h and that is more than enough for those long straight roads in the Karoo. If your conscience and wallet will allow you to treat the N1 as the Autobahn that is. ALSO READ: New BMW X3 ticks all the boxes with versatile powertrain line-up Practicality hasn't been forgotten either as you would expect from a mid-size family orientated SUV. There is a decent amount of space for the rear seat passengers, with 570 litres of boot space. This is expandable to 1 700 if you fold the rear seats down. The new BMW X3 20d is a solid choice. Picture: Supplied Making a lot of sense The latest in digital screens and infotainment systems are in use. And the cabin looks and feels as modern as ever without being too complicated or gimmicky. The BMW X3 20d xDrive is probably as flashy in M Sport trim, as it is well-made. Retailing for around R1 175 000, it is not here to compete with the high-end of the Chinese market. But rather be an exceptionally well-priced offering in the premium segment inhabited by Audi and Mercedes-Benz. ALSO READ: Finally priced: BMW puts stickers on all-new generation X3 You won't win any influencer points driving a diesel in 2025. But if you care about range, torque, comfort, and the ability to drive across provinces without needing to charge anything but your smartphone, this BMW X3 still makes a whole lot of sense. BMW X3 20d test results

Mail & Guardian

6 days ago

• Mail & Guardian

The BYD Seal 7: Humbling BMW drivers since 2025

The BYD Seal 7. You're in the wrong country if you've never pulled up to a robot and heard a BMW driver rev his car before boosting to the next robot. It's usually a case of 'if you've got it, flaunt it' for those drivers, and some people want to be like them, while others of us laugh at them. One thing that you cannot take away from BMW drivers is that their vehicles can actually back up all the noise they make with the power they produce. However, since new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) entered the market, the power figures that we used to only see on performance cars have become child's play for NEVs. We constantly look at above 200kW of power and over 350Nm of torque. But one critique in the motoring world has been that, while everyone enjoys the power, they miss the noise. The term 'speed and sound' becomes redundant with EVs. With the BYD Seal 7, which is a fully electric sedan, the power figures are astounding. It comes in two variants: the premium and the performance, with the former producing 230kW of power and 360Nm of torque and the latter producing 390kW of power and 670Nm of torque. BYD claims that the performance model does 0-100 in just 3.8 seconds while the premium model takes just under 6 seconds to hit 100km/h. I had the premium model on test, so I didn't get the adrenaline rush I would have got from the performance, but the figures on it mean it is still extremely rapid. It's great to test the instant torque on the vehicles but you have to be a responsible driver and citizen. It's not as if you can go around racing everyone and making a noise — like those BMW drivers. But it also means that you can put them in their place should the need arise. Luckily for me, it actually did. I was going down Atlas Road in Boksburg on my way home after a long two-hour game of padel. I pulled up to the robot just before the highway and some smart BMW driver pulled up next to me revving his engine with his window down. He obviously couldn't hear my vehicle but the Seal 7 gives off real sports-car vibes, which is probably why he wanted to prove a point. I looked across at him and he made the same gesture that I've seen Vin Diesel make in the Fast & Furious movies. He basically challenged me to a race to the next robot. At first, I ignored the gesture and just looked forward but then he revved again. I was not going to just sit back now, so I gave him the signal that it was on. As we left that robot, he made a solid start because of his turbocharged engine, but when the BYD Seal 7 got moving, he just couldn't keep up. Bear in mind, because I was passing it, I didn't see what model he was driving. As we stopped at the next robot, he rolled his window down again, and he asked me about the car. It had obviously impressed him. What impressed me more was just how fast the arrogance disappeared off his face. The Seal 7 is an impressive vehicle. When I drove the BYD Sealion 7, I felt that, at higher speeds, the car seemed slightly nervous, but the Seal 7 got more and more comfortable as the speed increased. It feels extremely solid as the Seal 7 has a double-wishbone plus a five-link suspension. It uses the double wishbone set-up for individual wheel control, while incorporating five control arms for greater suspension geometry flexibility. The range of the car is also impressive. It uses the 82.5kWh BYD Blade battery and the premium variant has 570km of range while the performance variant has 520km of range. Comfort The Seal 7 comes with a beautiful interior that has heated and ventilated leather seats, a pleasing suede panel on the dashboard and a full leather steering wheel. The cabin is completed by the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch infotainment system that comes equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A nice touch is that there are a few buttons around the gear. These include the aircon and demister buttons. You still have to control temperatures on the infotainment system, but in a world where buttons in vehicles have become so rare, we appreciate the few that we see in a vehicle. There is ample room for backseat passengers to sit comfortably. The boot has 400 litres of space and the frunk, which refers to the storage space in the front of the vehicle, has an additional 53 litres. Safety The BYD Seal 7 has earned a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. It scored 89% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 82% for vulnerable road user protection and 76% for safety assist technology. It also comes equipped with a large amount of safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane-support systems and advanced driver assistance systems. Pricing and verdict The BYD Seal premium variant is priced at R999 900 and the performance variant is priced at R1 199 900. It must be noted that this has been touted as the brand's flagship sedan. It's silent, but it is comfortable and, performance wise, it is deadly. So for a million rand, is it worth it? I'm actually surprised that it doesn't cost more. If this vehicle had a German badge on it, it would definitely surpass the R2 million mark. However, it is difficult to see the average South African affording a car worth a million rand. It is no wonder the NEV market is growing at such a slow pace in the country.