BMW 1 Series 2014 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its latest round of safety recalls, with models from Ford, Mazda, BMW, Kia, Audi, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini affected.

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. 

The next direction for a score of small, punchy BMWs: power down via the front wheels. When the Bavarians switch ends, they do so with vigour - up to 10 Minis and 12 BMWs over the next few years will be front-wheel drive.BMW last week launched the 2 Series Active Tourer (pictured), its first front-drive car, based on its modular UKL architecture. The platform promises neat interior packaging, fuel efficiency and economies of scale.Front-drive BMW and Mini vehicles will account for 800,000 of the 2 million annual sales the BMW Group hopes to achieve by 2020. To date the group has confirmed three- and five-door Minis and five- and seven-seat Active Tourers.The company's spokesman for 1 and 2 Series models, Kai Lichte, says any vehicle smaller than a 3 Series will use the front-drive platform, which also accommodates all-wheel-drive.In line with this, the existing rear-drive 1 Series and X1 SUV are tipped to move to front-drive at the end of their current product cycles.A further FWD candidate is expected to be the X2, with the same coupe-styled roofline as the existing X4 and X6.Lichte says there has been no decision on the X2. "That's one of the cars we are flexible to decide," he notes.The only junior model not yet confirmed for FWD is the 2 Series coupe, launched late last year, which has earned widespread approval among driving enthusiasts for its dynamics. Spy shots reveal BMW will soon launch a convertible 2 Series and a performance-oriented M2."Reaction to the 2 Series was overwhelmingly positive and we just introduced those cars so we have time to make a decision," Lichte says.Ultimately BMW plans to only have two platforms for all models: UKL for vehicles less than 4.5m long and a common rear-wheel-drive architecture for the rest - ranging in size from the 3 Series compacts to the 7 Series limos.

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.

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.

That will be tested when the German company launches its new, small 1-Series five-door hatch in September. The starting point for BMW cars was $43,869 for the Compact 3-Series three door which had limited appeal in this country. But at under 40 grand (for 118i), the Corolla-size 1-Series has much better prospects, particularly as it is built on the 3-Series production line in Regensburg, Germany, using the 3-series platform as a base and the same engines. The model kicks off in Australia with the 120i – using a 2.0-litre, 110kW, four cylinder petrol engine. A lower-priced 118i – with a 1.8-litre petrol four arrives early next year. The 2.0-litre engine features variable valve timing and balancer shafts to improve performance. It is mounted longitudinally in the 1-Series engine compart- ment. The 1-Series has a number of appealing features not the least being its rear wheel drive layout – all other cars in this segment are either front wheel drive or in high range models, all wheel drive. As well as a strong point of difference, rear drive gives the 1-Series a superior feel to other small cars with a total absence of torque steer (unexpected steering effect under power). Two six speed transmissions will be offered on the 120i in manual and steptronic (sequential) auto. The 118i will have a five speed manual and six speed auto. As expected, the 1-Series passes the Euro NCAP crash test with a five star rating. Various chassis components are aluminium includ- ing the front suspension. Like all other BMWs sold here, the 1-Series boasts an arsenal of electronic control systems to improve dynamics and boost safety. Numbered among these are ABS, Dynamic Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control and plenty more. The car has a 50/50 weight bias to optimise handling and ride. Styling has clear links to other cars in the BMW range – 3-Series headlights, concave side panels from the Z4. It has a chiselled look to the body with style lines to accentuate its shape and make it stand out. Of particular note is the so-called "banana line" along the bottom edge of the doors – something not seen before. The interior is typical BMW sharing general layout and controls with other models in the range. It is neat, functional and aesthetic. No "space miracle" inside, the 1-Series will accommodate five at a pinch or four in relative comfort. Rear seat legroom is tight with medium size front passengers and the boot is a good size. We were able to drive the new 120i at the international launch in Munich last week and liked what we saw. The car has excellent dynamics and a sporty feel coupled with an engine not afraid to rev. The six speed manual transmission has short throws between gears and all the controls have a firm, typically BMW feel. No autos were available for test. Engine performance is acceptable from the 2.0-litre petrol but the diesel 2.0-litre, not coming here, is the real goer in the range. A rash of new high tech diesels is flooding Europe offering superior performance, economy and lower emissions than petrol engines.European carmakers are investing heavily in new diesel technology. Also prevailing in Europe are either run-flat tyres or space saver spares. The new 1-Series has the latter and no spare. Ignition is by push button after key insertion and a service indicator does away with under bonnet checks such as the oil dipstick. An extensive range of options is available with the 1-Series including items like i-drive and satellite navigation. Standard equipment is extensive and of high quality.The 1-Series will compete in the premium small car segment with Audi A3, Alfa 147 and VW Bora. Mercedes-Benz has no direct competitor.