Think of all the worst excesses of current BMW design in a smaller package, and you can see why the styling of the compact 1-series is so controversial. But looks aside, the 130i M Sport we drove recently is one rocking automobile.
The 1-series went on sale-fitted with four-cylinder engines-in Europe towards the end of 2004, but BMW made the car available in the fall of 2005 with its stellar 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder making 261 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, allied to a six-speed manual transmission. We aren’t slated to get the 130i hatchback in the States, but we will get a coupe version (not a 3-door hatchback), likely going on sale early in 2008.
The 130i shares the same basic layout as the rest of the range: MacPherson strut front suspension, a multi-link rear arrangement, and vented anti-lock disc brakes. With an overall length of 166.4 inches, the 130i is 11.8 inches shorter than a 328i sedan, which is reflected in a cramped rear seat that is marginal for medium-size adults. The hatchback, decent trunk space, and 60/40 folding rear seat give the vehicle plenty of utility, however.
The six-cylinder versions of the 1-series are marked out from the fours by chrome kidney grille slats, a darkened window trim, large-bore twin exhaust tips, and seventeen-inch wheels and tires. The M Sport gets a deeper front airdam, side skirts, and rear valance, and eighteen-inch alloy wheels.
The 130i interior looks a lot like a 3-series sedan’s or coupe’s, with the same basic instrument panel shapes and much of the same switchgear. Heavily bolstered sport seats, a chunky steering wheel that’s covered in the same perforated leather as the handbrake lever, and aluminum trim pieces are part of the M Sport package. If you order the pricey navigation system, you are doomed to get iDrive: on the 1-series, the screen pops up out of the center of the dashboard, just as in the Z4.
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