BMW 1 Series 2012 News

BMW has taken the wraps off the facelifted 1 Series range, which will bring updated styling and engines to the small hatch lineup.Headlining the changes are completely redesigned head and taillights with revised front and rear bumpers that help correct the previous model's polarising styling.The new bonnet and front bumper also give the 1 Series a more aggressive appearance than before, while bringing the model’s design in line with newer BMWs like the 4 Series and X4 SUV.Daytime running LED lights positioned within the main headlights are also fitted as standard on the new model, while full LED lamps are available as an option.At the rear the new 1 gets refreshed taillights with distinctive L-shaped LEDs and a revised tailgate design that gives the hatchback a stylish 6 Series inspired design.The interior has also had a makeover, although the changes are less noticeable and limited to material upgrades around the centre console.Revisions have been made beneath the sheetmetal too, with BMW’s new three-cylinder engine family (first seen in the new Mini) introduced across the entry-level models.The petrol 116i will swap its current 100kW/220Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine for the new 80kW/180Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder motor, which can use as little as 5.0L/100km on the European cycle.However the power deficit compared to the four-pot means the new 116i is around two seconds slower from 0-100km/h than the outgoing model.An efficiency-focused 116d Efficient Dynamics Edition model is also being launched, powered by an 85kW/270Nm diesel three-cylinder and can return 3.4L/100km combined on the European cycle. It's unclear at this stage if this variant will be offered locally.The petrol 118i is also taking a power cut but keeps the same 1.6-litre turbo engine as before. It’s revised 100kW/220Nm  output is 20kW and 30Nm less than the outgoing version and it’s 0-100km/h time has increased by a smidge over a second to 8.5, though fuel consumption has dropped 0.1L/100km to 5.4L/100km combined on the European cycle. At the top of the range, the M135i performance model receives a 5kW power boost, bringing the outputs of its 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six to the same 240kW/450Nm as its more recent two-door M235i stablemate.Despite the extra power, with the no-cost option eight-speed automatic gearbox specified, the M135i still takes 4.9 seconds to reach 100km/h – the M235i is a tenth quicker.The new BMW 1 Series range is expected to arrive in Australia in the second half of this year. 

BMW has issued a safety recall for a total of 2894 cars sold between November 1 2012 and July 31 2013 for a defect that could see a lack of lubrication cause the vacuum pump to fail and reduce the effectiveness of the brake assist function that adds extra force for panic stops.The carmaker says however that the vehicles will still be able to brake under normal circumstances. "They don't lose braking ability, but still lose brake assistance," BMW Australia spokesperson Lenore Fletcher says. The affected vehicles are: the F20 1 Series; F30, F31 and F34 3 Series; F10 and F11 5 Series; E84 X1 compact crossover;  F25 X3 Series and E89 Z4 sports car.Fletcher says there have been no accidents or injuries, but a small number of vehicles have experienced the problem. "There have been about six or seven reports," she says. "We believe that only about 0.5 per cent of the vehicles in the recall will need fixing."An inspection taking less than an hour will determine if a vehicle needs the fix -- which will require up to another five hours. "We'll replace the component, and while parts can sometimes be an issue, ours are being airfreighted from Germany right now," Fletcher says. BMW says concerned owners should contact their nearest BMW service centre, or call 1800 813 299.

There are still camo stickers but the shape is clear, including the extra side window added beneath the new curving roof. It's the latest BMW crossover coupe after the X6 and 5 GT but won't be the last. 

The 135i will sit at the top of a selection of three-door Ones picking up a turbocharged six-cylinder engine good for 230 kiloWatts and predictable suspension and tyre tweaks.The three-door hot is here later this year for around $60,000.

We'll see three new entrants due to lob within the next 12 months, including Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class.It will be joined in the fray by Audi's new A3 and the new Volvo V40, a shorter, hatchback variant of the S60 sedan for want of a better description.All are five door hatchbacks with front wheel drive. BMW's stylistically challenged 1-Series is the only rear wheel drive. Although some manufacturers are reluctant to admit it, the main competition for all players is VW?s super popular Golf.CLEAN SHEETThe Benz is a clean sheet project having nothing at all in common with the previous A-Class mini people mover. That job has been ceded to the new Benz B-Class and it's an effective device for everyday family motoring. New A-Class is taking Benz in a totally new direction that will open up a wider and younger customer base to the three pointed star. Early kick-off price guesstimates are in the $35,000 range.DIGITAL NATIVESIt's a car precisely targeting the Gen Y and Xers (so called Digital Natives) replete with a full array of connectivity right down to being able to seamlessly hook up your iPad or iPhone to the in-car info/control system.It will be a smart phone on wheels offering a smooth transition from a digital lifestyle to a digital driving style. And get this, there's a virtual co-driver you can question or instruct to operate in-car functions.LOOKSThe stunning looker, which bears a remarkable similarity to the A Concept of 2011, will be made in Germany, Hungary and tellingly, China. And we can expect a few other variants built on the same front wheel drive platform (moving to all wheel drive when AMG gets its hands on A-Class).UNDER THE BONNETIt will be powered by a range of existing and a couple of new Benz turbo direct injection petrol and turbodiesel engines rated from 80kW through to 155kW with capacities ranging from 1.6 through to 2.1-litres. Benz hasn't confirmed it but a three door hatch variant should become available a little further down the track and possibly a drop top cabriolet.Benz's performance partner AMG has been enlisted to develop certain A-Class parts so they have intimate knowledge of the car already. The A250 Sport enjoys significant AMG input. New A-Class will be offered with six-speed manual and seven-speed dual clutch manumatic transmissions and all models will have auto stop/start to optimise fuel economy.Camtronic that alters valve lift in the petrol engines for peak efficiency will also make an appearance. An 'Eco' mode will be available to squeeze out the last kilometre in fuel economy if you drive carefully.ACRONYMS R USBenz won't hold back on the acronym features list either that will see the new baby Benz fitted with a speed limiter (Distronic), radar-based Collision Prevention Assist (CPA), Pre-Safe collision preparation and Lane Keeping Assist as well as Fatigue Alert and numerous other electronic driver and safety aids. They have filtered down from larger models as has the luxury inventory.STYLEIt has an assertive stance on the road with a masculine frontal appearance and deeply sculpted panels. The ride height is low and a striking "pointillist" style grille is available on some models. It looks ready to pounce from all angles and inside, the assertive, quality theme carries through with seats for four and a reasonable boot space.The dash is from funky town featuring an electroplated look to many surfaces and impressive audio and lighting spex. It rates a strong five stars in crash testing and boasts newly developed pedestrian safety technology. The multi-faceted headlights feature a bank of LEDs for daytime running, indicators and parking lights. It rates a low 0.26Cd for aerodynamic efficiency.VERDICTIf it goes as good as it looks the new A-Class could be a world beater. It has the potential to lift Mercedes-Benz to a new level with a wider audience and still maintain that prestige aura associated with the 110 year old automotive brand. We find out soon enough.

Kids aren’t usually a factor in Car of the Year judging.  But child friendliness rates highly with women buying cars – and with women judging cars.The countdown has been kicked off to decide the Women’s World Car of the Year, and the kid factor is one the judges pay a lot of attention to.“Statistics show that women drive children in cars significantly more often than men – and that means women need to take that into account, both when buying and as judges of cars,” WCOTY president Sandy Myhre said from New Zealand.“Any woman who has grappled constantly with child seats and belts and children considers those things when looking at buying a car.  Men might too but the fact is, women drive children in cars more than men.“Women would not consider that aspect in a Porsche 911 more than a bloke. The point is, it can be considered in these awards - and that is one of the points of difference in these awards.”Myhre points out that significant research into buying habits show that in addition to buying for themselves, women have a major influence in household purchase decisions for big ticket items.Ford Australia, for example, says their research shows that women are behind the majority of purchases of the Territory SUV – either as single women buying one, or in influencing the joint decision with their partner. “A report from Mattingly & Associates in Australia concluded, in part, that businesses that didn't understand this influence would be hard-pressed to stay in business.  That report was aptly called 'When I've Made Up Our Minds',” Myhre says.However, the kid factor is just one of the criteria by which the 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year will be judged.There are four categories in the Women's World Car of the Year – Family Car, Luxury Car, Sports Car and Economy Car. Points are allocated to each of ten criteria: driveability, engineering, comfort, child friendliness, style, interior, storage, dashboard efficiency, carbon footprint and colour range.The 20 judges from eleven countries have submitted their own personal short list and more than 300 cars were suggested. These individual choices were then whittled down to form a master list of 32 in terms of popularity. Judges will now allocate points for these cars from a criteria list.The announcement of the winning cars in each category and the supreme winner will be made before the end of March. The supreme award trophy and category certificates will be presented to the car companies concerned at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2012 – the Paris Motor Show – in September. The supreme trophy will this year be made in The Netherlands. Category-winner certificates will be designed at Peartree Studios in Colerne, UK.The first winner of the Women's World Car of the Year was the Jaguar XF in 2010 and the trophy made in South Africa was presented at the Jaguar boutique showroom in Knightsbridge, London. In 2011 there was a dead-heat between the Citroen DS3 and the BMW 5 Series. The two trophies made in India were presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011. 

BMW Blog says car will be a front-wheel-drive car like the Mini.Just as BMW refers to its SUVs as SAVs (Sports Activity Vehicles), it is apparently referring to the 1 Series Gran Turismo as a Compact Activity Tourer (CAT) and will be the first of many front-wheel-drive BMWs, says the blog.BMW Blog is an American-based enthusiast website with no affiliations to BMW. Its credentials are dubious, however, as they reported the April Fools Day joke last year that BMW was about to release an M3 pick-up (utility).BMW Australia spokesman Piers Scott says they have "no information on such a car at this stage"."But we definitely do have exciting new concepts to be revealed in the compact class within the next 12 months," he says.The blog says the CAT will follow a 3 Series GT PAC, or Progressive Activity Coupe. The 3GT is allegedly sleeker than the frumpy 5 Series GT with less rear glass area.The CAT is claimed to be powered by turbocharged three- and four-cylinder turbo engines, plus hybrid and have all-wheel-drive (xDrive) versions.With its higher driving position it would possibly compete against the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, but that seems strange as the B-Class has been an under-achiever, particularly here. The blog says the car will hit showrooms in 2014.

Hundreds of new and updated cars arrive in Australia each year but only one is good enough to make the honour role for Carsguide COTY.This time around the prize fight is tougher than ever, with new arrivals for 2011 covering every size and price class, from the ordinary Chery J1 from China to the exotic Ferrari 458 Italia from Italy. Neither of them makes the COTY cut, but that's another story ...The reach for COTY 2011 contenders actually stretches back to the final months of last year, to include a couple of cars that just missed the 2011 cutoff, and this time around the newcomers must have hit showrooms by December 1.So, unfortunately, the all-new Toyota Camry is a non-starter. It's the same for the make-or-break four-cylinder Falcon.But the class of 2011 covers all the bases, from affordable mini cars through family and prestige cars to a hot new coupe. The hopefuls come from Europe, Asia and Japan, as well as right home in Australia.Setting the field for 2011 was not easy, particularly with the outgoing champion - the Volkswagen Polo - still casting a considerable shadow.But each of the COTY judges, who cover the Carsguide contenders and drive them in all conditions from coast to coast, has called up their personal favourites from Alfa Romeo through to Volkswagen to help guide the selection process.Then it is the final cull by the COTY veterans to produce the top 10 for a gruelling two-day shootout to consider everything from design and safety through to value and their driving ability on a wide range of roads from Ford's You Yangs proving ground to freeways, suburban streets and gravel roads on the outskirts of Melbourne.The field is set, the race is about to be run, but we cannot get ahead of ourselves.So here are the 10 COTY contenders ... now it's over to the judges: 

The German brand said it would never make a full-on M-car based on its baby 1-Series, but the latest Carparazzi pictures reflect a major backflip. Or perhaps a car which is an M1 in everything but its name ...The wide-body 1 Series is caught during brisk runs through the countryside near BMW headquarters in Munich and it is clearly very different even from the 135i coupe.  The biggest change is the flared wheelarches and the giant alloy wheels, which wrap around huge four-wheel disc brakes.The M1 is expected to get its motivation from a 260kW inline six-cylinder engine fitted with twin turbochargers. It will make the car easily the most powerful in its class, ensuring a 0-100km/h sprint time in the 5.5-second range.The Carparazzi pictures also show a much deeper front airdam with bigger radiator opening, as well as scoops to the front brakes.  The new boss of BMW's M division, Kay Segler, admits his mission is partly to make cars which are more affordable and accessible to younger buyers."We want to make M young again, and affordable," he says.  "My sons would like to have an M, and when they're 40, not 60."The M1 is likely to be previewed later this year, most likely at the Paris Motor Show in October, with sales in 2011.

Underneath the liquid white paint scheme and bright blue pinstriping, this 1 Series is powered by a new high-tech all-electric engine.  In place of a regular petrol or diesel engine is a synchronous electric motor that pumps pump out 126kW/250Nm.Called the Concept ActiveE, BMW will unveil the car next week at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit.  Unlike other concepts though, the ActiveE is far from a flight of fancy.The German carmaker plans to allow a select group of private and fleet buyers to drive the car and evaluate it before committing to production.  The design brief was to provide a zero emissions green machine without sacrificing the driving experience BMW drivers expect.BMW engineers positioned the heavy electric motor to provide a similar weight distribution and agile handling as the 1 Series.  The motor is integrated in the rear axle and the electronics are above the motor.Despite being a porky 1800kg, the ActiveE will reach 60km/h in 4.5 seconds, 100km/h in nine seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 145km/h.  Like the Mini E, it has a range of about 160km on a single charge.The high-tech theme carries over to the stylish cabin.  Smartphone technology allows the driver to perform some functions remotely.  Drivers will be able to use their mobile phones to check the car's battery status, search for public charging stations or turn on the heating or air conditioning remotely.Inside the cabin gets a lift with bright white and blue accentuated leather trim and back-lit three-dimensional dials.  The dashboard and console also display information about the electric drive system.The motor draws its energy from a new, advanced lithium-ion battery pack jointly developed by BMW and SB LiMotive.  BMW has also solved to problem of cooling the battery pack by developing a new temperature regulation system.  Importantly too the ActiveE has enough room for four and a 200 litre boot.The battery pack can be recharged in as little as three hours by a normal power outlet at public charging stations or via a special wall-mounted box.  The car's drive components were developed as part of project i, BMW's newest research division set up in 2008 to explore high-tech transport solutions.  Company officials say the technology is likely to appear in mass produced cars from about 2015.