BMW 123d 2010 Review

BMW's 1-Series Coupe is a sporty little thing, compact, with good handling and (especially with the three-litre turbocharged petrol six-cylinder engine) is very quick. And all in a luxury package befitting the German marque. But what's the result when a four-cylinder diesel engine is put in?

Some f-words emerge, but good ones: It's fun, certainly frugal, funky and fast enough for most.

Diesel engines in sporty cars, including convertibles, have been embraced in Europe for several years now. From here on, it's Australia's turn to show enough maturity to accept them as a way of having motoring driving pleasure with low fuel use and therefore low exhaust emissions.

Engine and gearbox

We tested the BMW 123d Coupe with a two-litre, twin-turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel engine. BMW's engineers have wrung enough out of the turbos and injection/breathing systems to provide an impressive 150kW power, a figure that can stand proud against similar-sized, turbocharged petrol engines. The winner is the diesel's torque, a strong 400Nm of it and from just 2000rpm.

Put this with a six-speed, sporty shifting manual gearbox and BMW claims a 0- 100km/h sprint in 7 seconds. Out on the highway, the overtaking performance is strong 80-120km/h taking just 5.5 seconds using fourth and fifth gear. The maker also says this little diesel coupe will run out to 238km/h. At 110km/h in sixth gear, the manual gearbox car is ticking over at 2100rpm.

A six-speed automatic is a $2280 option, being a sequential with paddleshift changes.

Economy and stop-start system

There's no doubting then the diesel engine's performance, yet fuel economy is right on the money, too. Officially it's rated at 5.2 litres/100km. On our driving, admittedly mostly gently on the throttle, we returned an average of 5.4 litres/100km, including city driving.

BMW fits its ‘stop-start’ system to this car: When the car is stopped and in neutral, the engine automatically switches off. When the driver wants to proceed, just pressing the clutch pedal automatically re-starts the engine, and you're away. It's a fuel saver and helps the planet (ever noticed all the fumes from exhausts on cars stopped long at traffic lights?).

Fit-out and equipment

The 1 Series Coupe comes with sport bucket leather seats, all manual adjustment except for a push-button adjustment of the wings to tighten around the drive's body to help hold him/her in place during cornering. Steering is tilt and reach adjustable. Rear view is not great for a small car but parking sensors, with a graphic display, help.

The steering wheel has as thick rim and feels meaty with power steering not over-assisted, yet there's little feel of the road surface coming to the driver's hands. The rear seat takes only two passengers and, as expected in a small coupe, headroom there is limited for taller people. Boot size is modest but the rear seat back folds forward, 60/40. There's no spare wheel, the battery being under the boot floor.

It has cruise control, rain and light sensors, climate control, stability control, cornering brake control, fog lamps and leather trim. Price of the 123d Coupe is from $57,900.

As usual, BMW knows how to charge for options: the test car's fabulous sedona red metallic paint is $1700, the power sunroof $2920, sat-nav $2860 (but with as modest screen), and the 17in wheels replaced by 18in at $1326. It also had the $2300 M Sport Pack of aerodynamic body kit, sports suspension, M steering wheel and anthracite roof lining.

Driving

The stop-start is disconcerting until you get used to it, some passengers wondering if we'd stalled. Lights and all other gear remain working.  Like any car with an instant fuel-use readout, it encourages economic driving and there's a little set of arrows to suggest going up or down a gear for best efficiency.

The only disappointing aspect of this engine is that I'd expected more refinement from BMW. At idle, it is not as quiet inside as, say, a Mazda3 diesel. Even on the 18in low-profile tyres, road noise is commendably contained.

Most 1-Series buyers will prefer petrol engines. But get used to this idea of a diesel in a sports coupe it's the way of the future.

BMW 123d Coupe

Price: from $57,900 (as tested: $69,006)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel
Power: 150kW @ 4400rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2000-2500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual; optional six-speed automatic with paddleshift, rear-wheel-drive
Brakes: All disc, ABS, cornering brake control
Fuel use: official, 5.2 litres/100km; our drive 5.4 litres/100km; diesel; tank, 51 litres
C02 emissions: 135g/km
Dimensions: 4360mm long, 1748mm wide, 1420mm high; 2660mm wheelbase
Wheels & tyres: standard, 17in diameter alloy with 205/50 front and 225/45 rear tyres. Test car, 18in alloys, 215/40 front and 245/35 rear tyres.

RIVALS

Audi TT 2.0 TDI diesel Quattro Coupe from $67,700
Peugeot 308 CC S diesel Coupe from $58,490
Volkswagen Golf GTD diesel from $39,290.