BMW 120i 2007 News

The four seater is due in Australia mid-next year, according to BMW Australia spokesman Toni Andreevski.And it might be simultaneously rolled out locally with the 1 Series Coupe that was also exclusively revealed in CARSguide last month.The latter is due for its world debut in the next fortnight.“It depends on availability,” Andreevski says of the models, which, unlike some BMW lines available here, will both be manufactured in Germany.“There is nothing comparable that has rear-wheel-drive and perfect balance front to back. This will be the real driver's choice.”The 1 Series is likely to be priced between $60,000 and $80,000.“Historically we've owned that segment and we can expect buyer interest in a BMW coupe or convertible priced there to be strong.”A choice of five engines will be offered globally, including a diesel which is unlikely to reach Australia, at least in the near future.Of more importance, though is the range-topping 135i. Sharing the acclaimed bi-turbo 3.0 inline six first seen in the 335i and due nest in the 1 Series Coupe, it will lead the local lineup and account for as much as 50 per cent of the model line's sales if the 3 Series equivalent is any guide.Of the three other engines - the atmo six-cylinder 125i, the four-pot 120i and 118i  - BMW Australia is likely to take the first two.With a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds, the 225kW/400Nm 135i is a good half second quicker even than Porsche's superb Boxster S roadster. European Union testing posits combined cycle fuel consumption of 9.4 litres per 100km.It has a modified M Aerodynamics Package from the M Sports Package as standard, which includes front skirt, door sills, rear skirt are identical in their details to those on the forthcoming coupe. The M theme continues beneath with sports suspension and a high performance braking system as standard.There are two standard colours available in the soft-top range, classical black or beige. It can be optioned in an exlcusive anthracite with silver effect.While folding hardtops are the fashion, the canopy of the 1 Series - unlike the 3 Series which was launched earlier this year - is of a fabric interwoven with fine shiny metallic fibres. The canopy folds open or closed in 22 seconds and can be operated at road speeds of up to 40km/h.Even with the lid folded in, a useful 240 litres luggage space is claimed.BMW make much of its sun reflective technology, which reduces the heating effect of UV rays on the leather upholstery by sunlight by way of deflective colour pigments worked into the material.The 1 Series is equipped with a rollover sensor, which automatically activates rollover bars should it detect the possibility of capsize. It simultaneously activates the front seat belt tensioners and the head thorax air bags.Andreevski says that BMW's already dizzying array of variants, far from confusing buyers, is working to the marque's advantage.“The main focus is identifying the customer's needs and demands. We're set to reach our target of 16,800 for 2007.”

It may seem like a strange comparison. A BMW 120i up against a Mini Cooper S Chilli. From a historical perspective, it's a small German luxury vehicle against a utilitarian British car for the masses, albeit the performance variant. But as with any number of instances in the car world these days, history has little to do with the reality of the present.True, the British Leyland Mini of the 1960s was a no-frills car. It came with the bare essentials, including a four-cylinder 850cc engine and four-speed manual gearbox.And, at the same time, in this neck of the woods (Australia) anything with the spinning propeller badge was considered luxury, even if it was merely as a result of exchange rates that had BMWs priced at least 150 per cent above most other cars.But how times (and exchange rates) have changed. Both the BMW120i and the Mini S Chilli now come from the same family, the BMW group. These days, neither would be considered as a true luxury vehicle.And since both appeared in the carsguide garage recently, both are around the $50,000 mark, why not a comparison?Today's Mini is to all intents and purposes designed and built by BMW. Bits of it come from various parts of Europe but it is a German car masquerading as a British vehicle.You get two doors, in the “S,” a highly sophisticated 1600cc turbocharged engine, and, in the test car, an equally sophisticated six-speed automatic gearbox. The interior, and for that matter the external appearance, is about as far from utilitarian as it's possible to get, especially in this “Chilli,” which came with heated leather seats, six airbags, floor mats, interior lighting package (colour adjustable), climate control, cruise control, 10-speaker sound system, sports seats and stainless steel pedals and footrest.Automatic transmission ($2200), Dynamic Stability Control ($840), chrome line interior ($250), glass roof with sliding and tilting function ($1840) and seat heating ($560) brought the total cost to $49,190.The BMW 120i five-door hatch (with executive package) tipped the scales at $52,850, thanks to options such as metallic paint ($1300), executive package of leather, USB interface and preparation for Bluetooth mobile interface ($1700), BMW navigation system ($3500), luggage compartment separation net ($150), electric glass sunroof ($2200) and voice recognition system ($700).Options excluded, the Beemer was $43,300 and the Mini $43,500.So for the same money you could have either vehicle. On the one hand a quick turbocharged 1600cc engine putting out 128kW and 240Nm of torque from as low as 1600rpm. An engine at the cutting edge, both frugal and powerful. On the other hand, another four, 2000cc, naturally aspirated, putting out 115kW and 200Nm of torque but at 3600rpm. Also a sophisticated engine, a revver in the best BMW tradition.The Mini wins the power contest both on paper and on the road, where the generous torque figure so low in the rev range means the Mini can be described as quick, while the BMW performance is moderate to good.True, there is only a 1.3 second advantage to the Mini in the 0-100km/h time if both cars are redlined, but real-world driving means the “grunt” of the Mini gives it much stronger legs in all conditions.In handling and roadholding stakes, the Mini takes the honours but not by as much of a margin as might be imagined.You can still provoke considerable understeer in the Mini and there is also noticeable torque steer if you gas it up with the wheels turned.In the ride/comfort stakes the BMW wins hands down.Both the 120i and the Chilli S use run flat tyres with hard sidewalls. The tyres do neither car any favours when it comes to passenger comfort, but it is the Mini which thumps and bangs over potholes rather than the Beemer.Both have stability control, which lets the driver push hard but stops the same driver from overdoing things.Interior set-up is much of a muchness in terms of switches and gadgets and dials.The Mini is more “funky” with aeronautical toggle switches both overhead (a la Boeing aircraft) and on the centre console. It also has an adjustable interior light colour scheme tooling through blue to red. The BMW is more traditional, the baby 120 having a cabin much like its bigger brother, understated if anything. The Mini is brashly youthful.If you want to go fast and be noticed, it's the blue Mini with the white bonnet stripes and twin chromed exhausts. If comfort and prestige float your boat, go for the BMW. However, $50,000 is more than a reasonable amount to pay for a motor car and neither the blue-and-white badge of the baby BMW or the “S” logo of the Mini present a watertight case of best value for money. If the budget is around $50,000, both the Mini and BMW have plenty of competition not restricted to Ford Focus XR5 ($37,000), VW Golf GTI ($40,000), VW Passat 2.0 turbo FSI ($45,000), and Mazda3 MPS ($40,000) for the Mini; and Mercedes 200 Turbo Avant ($48,300), Mercedes B-Class 200 ($48,500), Volvo S60 2.4LE ($50,000), Audi A3 TFSI ($43,000), and Audi A4 2.0 sedan ($50,000) for the BMW.The choice available these days is truly all encompassing and figuring out how much you are paying for the badge rather than the abilities and appointments you want is a tough task. 

In his 15 years at BMW, the Munich car maker's US-born head of design has overseen the creation of some of the industry's most admired and imitated, if controversial, cars.