The BMW Serie 1 2017 receives an update with more technology and small exterior changes

Just a couple of days ago, we showed you the images of the exterior road tests that BMW was carrying out with the Serie 1 restyle, with a sparse camouflage that clearly hinted at where the changes would be focused. But these changes will not only be aesthetic; they are also aimed at greater personalisation and technological improvements.

The main novelty of the new BMW Serie 1 is that it will include three special editions, called Edition Sport Line Shadow, Edition M Sport Shadow and BMW M140i Edition Shadow. All of these editions share black as a common element for the kidney grille surround, LED headlights with black elements and, for the LED rear lights, a darker surface. In addition, the BMW M140i Edition Shadow will stand out from the rest through black tailpipe finishers.

But beyond these three editions, future owners of the BMW Serie 1 will have a wider range of personalisation options. The available colour range now grows by two, with Seaside Blue and Sunset Orange, and 5 new wheel designs will be available in 17- and 18-inch sizes, so the wheel catalogue now comprises 16 different designs in 16, 17 and 18-inch sizes.

Inside, the changes are more evident across the entire dashboard and affect numerous elements, such as the instrument cluster, which has been completely redesigned, as well as new inserts and materials that give it a fresher look. There will also be more refinement and sportiness with contrasting stitching depending on the model.

It also brings important technological updates. As standard, it includes the iDrive system, now with a new next-generation controller with touch surface, which allows the use of the various available options or, for example, entering navigation destinations on its touch surface. For all of the above we can also use an 8.8-inch touchscreen and, if all of that feels uncomfortable, we can also operate it by voice.

In addition, as with other rival models, the BMW Serie 1 also lets us connect to the internet thanks to the SIM card already fitted as standard, and access the ConnectedDrive system, which gives us access to various BMW services. The BMW Connected system connects to smartphones and smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, to keep us integrated with the car at all times, even when we are not inside it: from a distance we can perform actions from our smartphone such as switching on the climate control, locking or unlocking the doors and receiving specific vehicle information. Optionally, we can connect up to 10 devices to the internet via the WLAN hotspot.

Mechanically, the BMW Serie 1 offers a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, all with BMW’s TwinPower Turbo technology, and is rear-wheel drive, with the option of xDrive permanent four-wheel drive. The gearbox may be manual or eight-speed Steptronic automatic, depending on the engine chosen.

Among the petrol versions, the smallest is the 1.5-litre three-cylinder with 109 CV and 136 CV for the 116i and 118i respectively, followed by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder with outputs of 184 CV and 224 CV for the 120i and 125i respectively, finishing with the 3.0-litre six-cylinder with 340 CV fitted to the M140i.

If we want a diesel engine, the first option is the 116d with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder, followed by the 118d and 120d with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder producing 150 CV and 190 CV respectively, while this same engine reaches its highest output in the 125d with 224 CV.

The new BMW Serie 1 will be offered, as before, in 3- and 5-door variants, and will be available on the market from next July.

Source | BMW

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