Review: BMW F20 1-Series hatch (2011-19)

BMW F20 1-Series hatch (2011-15)

Overview

Released in October 2011, the BMW F20 1-Series was a small, five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Germany, the rear-wheel drive F20 1-Series range initially consisted of the 116i, 118i and 118d models. The range was subsequently expanded with the 125i (March 2012) and high-performance M135i (October 2012); the full range is given in the table below.

EfficientDynamics

All models were fitted BMW’s ‘Automatic Start/Stop’ function (engine shutdown when stationary), brake energy regeneration (recharging the battery when braking or coasting) and low-rolling resistance tyres. The 1-Series hatch was fitted with a ‘Driving Experience’ switch which enabled the driver to select ‘Comfort’, ‘Eco Pro’ and ‘Sport’ modes, the latter providing faster steering ratios, greater throttle response and – for automatic models – holding gears for longer when accelerating.

Dimensions and suspension

Compared to theBMW E87 1-Series hatch , the F20 1-Series hatch was 97 mm longer (at 4324 mm), 14 mm wider (1765 mm), 9 mm lower (1421 mm) and had a 30 mm longer wheelbase (2690 mm). Furthermore, the F20 1-Series hatch had a double-joint cross-strut axle with MacPherson struts and sways bars and a five-link rear axle.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the BMW F20 1-Series included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control, cornering brake control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the BMW F20 1-Series hatch received a five star safety rating which included a 91 per cent adult occupant rating and an 83 per cent child occupant rating. Under ANCAP’s methodology, this testing resulted in a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 36.33 out of 37.

Features: BMW 116i, 118i, 118d and 125i

Standard features for the BMW 116i included 16-inch alloy wheels with runflat tyres, a six speaker stereo with CD player, MP3-compatibliity and auxiliary inputs (3.5mm/USB/iPod), 6.5-inch LCD multi-function display, air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, rear fog lights, 60/40 split and flat folding rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power mirrors and windows, a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable front seats, 12 volt power outlets, trip computer, tyre pressure sensors and immobiliser.

The 118i and 118d were further equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, front fog lights, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, cargo net and an electrochromatic rear view mirror. Beyond this, the 125i was fitted with wider tyres, ventilated rear disc brakes and variable-ratio steering.

BMW F20 M135i

The BMW F20 M135i was distinguished by ‘M Performance’ attributes such as its customised cooling system, dry sump lubrication for the manual transmission (where fitted), M-specific suspension tuning, an M Sport Brake System (with four-piston fixed callipers at the front and two-piston units at the rear) and 18-inch ‘M’ alloy wheels with 225/40 R18 front and 245/35 R18 rear tyres. The M135i had an electromechanical ‘Variable Sport Steering’ system and could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds for models with automatic transmissions and 5.1 seconds for models with manual transmissions.

Standard features for the M135i were extended to include a HiFi sound system, contoured sports seats with Alcantara trim, bi-xenon headlights, Bluetooth connectivity with voice control, contoured sports seats, an ‘M’ leather steering wheel, anthracite roof liner, stainless steel door sills, interior lighting and an ‘M’ aerodynamics body package. Front fog lights, however, were omitted for larger air intakes.

July 2013 changes

In July 2013, standard features were extended to include ‘sensatec’ (artificial leather) upholstery and rear parking sensors. Beyond this, the 118i and 118d gained BMW’s ‘Business’ navigation system with a 6.5-inch display, extended Smartphone connectivity with voice control and Bluetooth audio streaming; the 125i was further equipped with 18-inch ‘Double Spoke’ alloy wheels and the Sport Line package (see below).

As part of the July 2013 update, the M135i gained front and rear parking sensors and BMW’s ‘Professional’ Navigation system with an integrated touch controlled and internet functionality.

Urban Line, Sport Line and M Sport packages

The 1-Series was also available with optional Urban Line and Sport Line packages. The Urban Line package included a white and chrome grille, white alloy wheels (though other colours were also available), white door mirror covers, cloth-leather seats, ‘acrylic-glass’ interior trim and ambient lighting (orange and blue). The Sports Line package, however, included sports bumpers, contoured front seats and steering wheel, high-contrast red stitching and red piping, high-gloss black interior trim, matt coral accent trim and ambient lighting (orange and white).

From March 2012, an optional M Sport package was available for all variants of the 1-Series hatch. The M Sport package included 18-inch alloy wheels with sports suspension, leather upholstery, contoured sports seats, a sports steering wheel and body kit. The ‘Driving Experience’ system also received an additional ‘Sport+’ setting.

Option Packages

From July 2013, the F20 1-Series hatch was available with a range of extra-cost option packages –

• Convenience Package (116i only): rain-sensing wipers, an electrochromatic rear view mirror and extended Smartphone connectivity;
• Advanced Parking Package: front parking sensors and a reversing camera;
• Visibility Package: bi-xenon headlights with washers, high-beam assistance, adaptive headlights (excluding 116i) and electrochromatic door mirrors;
• Premium Sound Package: Harman/kardon sound system with digital radio (DAB);
• Professional Multimedia Package: BMW’s ‘Professional’ navigation system, internet functionality, upgraded instrument cluster and the Harman/kardon sound system with digital radio (DAB); and,
• Comfort Package: comfort access system, power adjustable front seats (including lumbar adjustment) with memory function and heated front seats.

Related links

• Press Kit: BMW F20 1-Series Hatch (June 2011)
• Specifications: BMW F20 1-Series Hatch (April 2014)

BMW F20 LCI 1-Series hatch (2015-17)

Overview

Officially released in Australia in June 2015, the BMW F20 LCI 1-Series hatch could be identified by its redesigned kidney grille, larger air intakes, ‘flatter geometry’ headlights with LED daytime driving lights (fitted as standard) and new LED tail-lights.

From July 2016 production,

• BMW’s B48 engine was introduced for the 120i and 125i; and,
• The M135i was replaced by the M140i, the latter powered by BMW’s B58 engine.

These post-July 2016 1-Series vehicles were available in Australia from October 2016.

Safety equipment

For the BMW F20 LCI 120i, 125i and M135i, standard safety equipment was extended with the introduction of BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant’ which included:

• Lane Departure Warning (LDW): using a camera, the LDW system operated at speeds above 70 km/h and could detect if the vehicle unintentionally changed lanes. If this occurred, the driver would receive warnings via steering wheel vibrations and a signal in the instrument cluster;
• Collision Warning: operating at speeds above 15 km/h, the Collision Warning used a camera to detect the distance to vehicles ahead and would provide visual and acoustic warnings if that distance decreased such that there was a risk of collision. The braking system would also be primed for shorter stopping distances; and,
• BMW’s Attention Assistant.

From July 2016, the BMW 120i, 125i and M140i were equipped with BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant’ which included:

• Approach Control Warning: if the driver was rapidly approaching an obstacle ahead, the driver would receive a visual warning in the instrument cluster, followed by a warning tone. If the driver failed to respond, the brakes would be applied automatically with deceleration of up to 3 m/s²;
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW): operating at speeds above 70 km/h, a camera could scan the road up to 50 metres ahead and detect lane markings. If the driver unintentionally deviated from their lane, the driver would be alerted via steering wheel vibrations and a visual warning in the instrument cluster;
• Pedestrian Warning with Light Braking Function: used a camera to scan the road ahead when the vehicle was travelling at speeds between 10 km/h and 60 km/h. if a potential collision with a pedestrian was identified, the driver would receive a visual warning in the instrument cluster and an alert tone; simultaneously, the braking system would be primed for maximum response. If the driver failed to respond, medium-force braking would be automatically initiated – this would reduce the risk of collision and prompt the driver to react. Once the driver applied the brake pedal, maximum braking force would be applied.

Features: 118i, 118d and 120i

Compared to their F20 predecessors, standard features for the BMW F20 LCI 118i and 118d were extended to include BMW’s ‘ConnectedDrive Real Time Traffic Information’, BMW’s ‘ConnectedDrive Lifestyle’, a rear view camera and a sport steering wheel. However,

• The dual-zone climate control air conditioning was replaced with single-zone climate control air conditioning; and,
• The Sensatec synthetic leather upholstery was replaced by cloth trim.

The BMW 120i was further equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, Sensatec leather trim, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, extended Smartphone connectivity, front fog lights, an anti-dazzle interior mirror, interior lights package and an extended instrument cluster.

As standard, the 118i, 118d and 120i were fitted with BMW’s ‘Sport Line’ package.

Features: 125i M Sport

Compared to the 120i, the 125i was further equipped with LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, anti-dazzle door mirrors with power-operated folding. The 125i was also fitted with BMW’s ‘M Sport’ package which included 18-inch alloy wheels, M Sport suspension, M Sport brakes, cloth/alcantara upholstery, an M leather steering wheel and variable ratio sport steering.

Visually, the M Sport package could be identified by its M aerodynamics body styling.

From July 2016 production, the BMW 125i was equipped with LED front fog lights.

Features: BMW M135i

Relative to the 125i, the BMW M135i was distinguished by its Adaptive M Suspension, HiFi sound system with DAB+ digital radio, ‘Professional’ navigation system, leather upholstery and Adaptive LED headlights.

Features: BMW M140i

Compared to the M135i, standard features for the BMW M140i were extended to include a harman kardon audio system with twelve speakers, power adjustable and heated front seats, and BMW’s ‘Comfort Access’ (i.e. proximity key for keyless entry and push-button start). Furthermore, the ‘Professional’ navigation introduced BMW’s new iDrive 5 system which had revised controls and a new app-style interface.

BMW M140i Performance Edition

The BMW M140i Performance Edition was unique to Australia and deliveries commenced in the second quarter of 2017. Visually, the BMW M140i Performance Edition could be identified by its 19-inch bi-colour ‘Orbit Grey’ alloy wheels, black finishes for the kidney grille, rear fins and roof-mounted spoiler, carbon fibre door mirror covers and performance exhaust system. Inside, the M140i Performance Edition had open pore carbon fibre trim for the dashboard, carbon fibre elements for the M Performance Alcantara steering wheel, carbon fibre trim for the centre console, LED door sill finishers and aluminium pedal covers.

Production of the BMW M140i Performance Edition was limited to sixty (60) vehicles: 15 with manual transmissions and 45 with automatic transmissions. For models with the manual transmissions, a mechanical limited-slip differential was fitted as standard and the ‘M Performance’ gear knob was finished in Alcantara and carbon fibre. Each vehicle was fitted with a bespoke numbered plaque to indicate its number within the production run.

Specifications

• Specifications: BMW F20 1-Series Hatch (February 2016)

Related links

• BMW Press: The New BMW 1-Series Model Range

BMW F20 LCI 1-Series hatch (2017-19)

Overview

Production of the second LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) BMW F20 1-Series hatch commenced in July 2017 and was available in Australia from September 2017. Inside, the 2017 BMW F20 LCI 1-Series hatch featured a re-worked instrument panel which had a ‘greater emphasis on driver focus’, a re-configured black-panel instrument cluster, iDrive6 operating system with iDrive Touch Controller, high-gloss black surfaces for the centre stack, new contrasting upholstery stitching and chrome elements for the power window controls.

Safety equipment

For the post-July 2017 BMW F20 LCI 1-Series, BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant’ – which included Approach Control Warning, Pedestrian Warning with Light Braking Function, Lane Departure Warning and the ‘Attention Assistant’ – was fitted as standard.

Features

For the post-July 2017 BMW F20 LCI 1-Series, LED headlights were fitted as standard. For the BMW 125i and M140i models, the ‘Professional’ navigation system had an 8.8-inch touch screen.

2019 BMW 1-Series Hatch Shadow Edition

The BMW F20 LCI 118i and 125i Shadow Editions were released in Australia in early 2019. Visually, the BMW 1-Series Shadow Editions could be identified by their 18-inch double-spoke ‘M’ alloy wheels (with Jet Black or bicolour finishes), LED fog lights, black exterior elements (including a high-gloss black kidney grille frame, black headlight inserts, darkened tail lights and black chrome tailpipes), ‘BMW Individual’ high-gloss Shadow Line exterior trim and M Aerodynamics Package; the ‘118i’ and ‘125i’ badges were also omitted.

Inside, the 1-Series Shadow Editions had front sports seats, ‘M’ leather steering wheels, ‘BMW Individual’ Anthracite-coloured roofliners, wireless mobile phone charging and a choice of Aluminium Hexagon with black high-gloss trim finishes or black high-gloss with Pearl Chrome trim finishes. While the 118i Shadow Edition had cloth ‘corner’ Anthracite-coloured upholstery with grey highlights, the 125i Shadow Edition had ‘Dakota’ leather upholstery.

2019 BMW M140i Finale

The BMW M140i Finale edition was released in Australia in March 2019. Compared to the standard BMW M140i, the Finale edition could be identified by its 18-inch ‘M’ double-spoke alloy wheels, darkened head- and tail-lights, black high-gloss kidney grille frame, metallic paint finish and ‘black chrome’ tailpipes. Additional features for the BMW M140i Finale included a power glass sunroof, wireless mobile phone charging and storage compartment package.

Specifications

• Specifications: BMW F20 LCI 1-Series Hatch (April 2018)

Related links

• BMW PressClub: the new BMW 1 Series