| BMW's
new baby on the way
A
REPORT BY THE WEST AUSTRALIAN - MOTORING, APRIL 7, 2004;
AUTHOR Paul Dicker.
The
1 Series baby Beemer hatchback will emerge in October to
head BMW's new grab for Aussie buyers.
THIS
is the car that BMW is banking on to bring a fresh bunch
of buyers to the brand.
The 1 Series, a five-door hatchback, makes its Australian
debut at the Sydney Motor Show in October and will be in
showrooms shortly after.
Two models will be available initially, 116i and the 120i,
with prices likely to start around $37,000.
The 1 Series, something of a gamble for the white and blue
propellor, takes over from the 3 Series Compact at the entry-level
unit of the BMW family.
It is likely the Compact will be dropped when the German
manufacturer introduces its next generation 3 Series late
in 2005 or 2006.
The
baby Beemer is certain to reignite the debate on styling
triggered by the controversial 7 Series and which has continued
with the arrival of the 5 Series and the Z4.
BMW persists with the complex mix of of concave and convex
surfaces which have polarised opinion the world over.
A long nose, short front overhang and high waistline give
the hatchback a distinctive profile.
The wheelbase of the 1 Series is 65mm shorter than the 3
Series and, at 4230mm, overall length is 240mm shorter.
The
base model has a 1.6 litre, in-line four cylinder heart
which puts out 85kW and 150 Newtons of torque, sufficient
to get the 1205kg hatch from 0-100km/h in 10.8 sec.
The
120i's 2.0 litre engine, also used in the 3 Series, is good
for 110kW and 200Nm. To fire up the 1 Series, the driver
must put a 7 Series style key into the ignition slot and
then use a start stop button on the dash.
Transmission
choices in the 116i are a five-speed stick shift or a six-speed
auto. The 120i gets a six-speed manual.
Both
models run on 16-inch, run-flat rubber which means there
is no spare tyre. The MacPherson strut front and multi-link
rear suspension is straight from the new 3 Series.
What
sets the 1 Series apart from the other premium hatches,
such as the VW Golf and the Audi A3, is that drive from
longitudinally-mounted engine is fed to the rear wheels.
The
one compromise here is interior space but BMW was not prepared
to sacrifice driving dynamics for a more sapce efficient
front drive layout.
A
six-cylinder model is likely to follow and there's a turbo
diesel variant, now a must for many European markets. At
this stage, BMW Australia has no plans to bring in the oil
burner, even though Audi Australia will have a turbo-diesel
in its new A3 lineup.
However,
the 1 Series family will grow. A three door hatchback is
in the pipeline and there will be coupe and cabriolet variants
by 2006.
This duo will carry the 2 Series badge.
And
high performance M models are also on the drawing board
but it could be up to three years before they arrive.
The
1 Series gets a full complement of BMW's active and passive
safety features but the controversial I-Drive multi-function
controller will, in Europe, at least, be an option.
BMW
Group Australia believes the newcomer will have little effect
on existing 3 Series sales. "The two cars attract different
buyers," said media relations manager Nadine Giusti,
who expects to retail up to 1,000 1 Series units in the
first twelve months of market availability.
PAUL
DICKER
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