BMW 1 Series review (17/04/2013)

FOR a car that was originally intended to fill a gap in BMW’s model line-up, you’d have to say that the 1 Series has been something of a surprise to many — not least of whom was the German giant itself.

First seen back in September 2004, the 1 Series initially sold some 39,000 units that year and then went on to rack up consecutive yearly sales in the hundreds of thousands, peaking last year when it chalked up a total of 226,829 sales across its 3 and 5 door hatchback, coupe and convertible models.

For a car that was initially perceived as a stop-gap at the bargain basement end of the BMW market, aimed at plugging the hole left by the upwardly mobile 3 Series, that’s a fairly stellar performance by anyone’s standards. And when you consider that the range has played a vital role in BMW becoming the leading luxury brand in America, you can see just how important the 1 Series has become for the company. For all its successes, the baby Beemer was not exactly without fault. Sure it did bring one unique element to its segment in that it was the only vehicle in the class to offer rear wheel drive, but that factor — a huge plus point in many drivers’ eyes — also led to packaging difficulties as stuff like the transmission tunnel led to a decidedly cramped rear passenger compartment.