BMW 118 2025 review

The most affordable BMW money can buy has once again become just that little bit more expensive, though the good news is it’s not by much.

With a new price of $56,500 before on-road costs, the entry-level version of the new F70 generation 1 Series, the 118, is now $1700 more expensive than its equivalent F40 predecessor, though we can’t ignore that BMW offered a sub-$50 version earlier this year.

Compared to its rivals, the Beamer is pricier than the Audi A3 35 TFSI Sportback ($50,600), though pricing will likely increase when an update arrives in early 2025. Conversely, it marginally undercuts the Mercedes-Benz A200 ($56,900), almost as if by design…

Those interested in the sedan version won’t have to wait long, with the 2 Series Gran Coupe due to go on sale locally on March 1, 2025.

In a way it is a miracle we have a new generation for the 1 Series at all, with rivals Lexus giving up on the small hatchback segment locally and newcomer Genesis showing no interest at all in the format.

BMW, though, believes this small segment five-door hatchback is still an important vehicle for the marque, offered in this new F70 guise in our as-tested base 118 form as well as high-grade M135 xDrive.

Similar to the X1, the 1 Series is positioned as a gateway to the brand and has worked to add value by standardising equipment previously hidden behind confusing and often expensive packages.

This is recognition, BMW Australia says, of our growing market, one that the importer calls the “most competitive in the world”. So have you the buyer actually benefited?

Now known as the 118 after BMW pried off the ‘i’ as to not confuse EV buyers, this German-built hatchback offers a healthy equipment list in standard form, which includes:

• Adaptive LED headlights w/ high-beam assist
• Adaptive dampers
• Power tailgate
• Head-up display
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.7-inch multimedia display
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Built-in eSim with 5G hotspot
• Keyless entry
• Heated and power-adjustable front seats w/ memory for driver
• Forwards AEB
• Lane keep assistance
• Adaptive cruise control w/ stop and go
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safe exist asssitance
• 360-degree camera
• Parking assistant plus
• Tyre pressure monitoring system

The 118 is sold as standard with the M Sport pack, providing it with a more serious appearance via a series of black, contrast and other styling touches. It also scores sports seats as standard.

One curious casualty of this matchup however, is that the M Sport pack locks in a leather steering wheel as standard for the 118 which means even if you opt for the newly available ‘Veganza’ vegan leather option, you’ll still have a slice of genuine hide up front, which may present a moral conundrum for some.

Buyers can opt for the Enhancement package for an additional $5000, which adds the following:

• Metallic paint
• 19-inch M light alloy wheels
• Heated steering wheel
• Lumbar adjustment and massage function for the driver
• 12-speaker Harmon/Kardon sound system
• Panoramic glass sunroof
• Driving assistant professional

The $2462 M Sport Package Pro is also available, adding a contrasting black roof, red brake callipers, rear spoiler, special seat belts and various other sporty styling tweaks.

You don’t have to squint too hard to identify that the fourth-generation F70 was a heavily updated version of the previous F40 rather than an all-new model, but the updates have been targeted and largely successful.

Naturally, there are no big changes in interior packaging though its predecessor was a generally practical hatch already after making its big breakthrough when it famously switched from rear- to front-wheel drive.

The dash layout has adopted BMW’s latest design, with dash-mounted buttons thrown out in exchange for a 10.7-inch multimedia screen paired with a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display.

Running the brand’s latest Operating System 9, like an Android phone, it takes some time and commitment to absorb all the information and options immediately thrown at you at the home screen but in time I grew to appreciate the frankness of it all.

Many buyers will lament the retirement of the iDrive controller and I count myself among them, BMW’s justification for its departure is that it was unnecessary due to the compact nature of the 1 Series’ cabin where the screen is close by. I don’t disagree, but my more senior peers and/or those without steady hands may do so.

At 183cm I sat comfortably in the 118, though in versions equipped with the Enhancement Pack that ushers in the panoramic sunroof I had to tweak my seat height to allow for adequate headroom.

The seats themselves are comfortable and supportive, with a useful degree of adjustment and a heating function built in. BMW offers the ability to get really fancy with a massaging and seat position memory function if you go for the aforementioned pack.

Row two isn’t a place you should be using to house grown adults on a daily basis, but even with the sunroof option I fit snuggly in the second row, with no obvious dip in material quality on all the common touch surfaces.

There are even amenities such as USB-C ports and air vents, plus a fold-down armrest. Enough, I’d say, to make the school run fairly pleasant.

A 380-litre boot features behind the stand-fit power tailgate and space is good for this class. A flexible 40:20:40 split-folding rear seat stows to reveals over 1200L of space, though there’s no spare wheel under the floor, which instead does feature some added hidden storage.

While the wheelbase is an identical 2670 mm, the 118 is now 42 mm longer (4361 mm) owing to its more pronounced snout which in my eyes brings a welcome air of class to the pug-like snout of its predecessor.

It also sits 35mm higher in base form due to adaptive dampers now being fit as standard which, if nothing else, should make entrance/egress just that little bit easier.

The ride though, is less kind on the back. BMWs have an underlying firmness to them which is more character trait than flaw but occasionally there is more room for sympathy in the comfort and handling balance.

To be clear, its performance is generally impressive, with the 118 diffusing some quite nasty road imperfections on multiple occasions but on several others, it didn’t. It’s absolutely livable, but if comfort is your first priority I’d suggest shopping around.

BMW has beefed up the 1.5L turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine with its new peak outputs of 115kW and 230Nm reflecting a 12kW/10Nm gain over the old model.

As is so often true with three-cylinder motors, their character is immediate and warming to the driver experience with the 118 delivering a healthy serving of torque that’s delivered smoothly up the rev range thanks to its ‘Twin Power’ format, aka a twin-scroll turbocharger design.

Despite moving from an eight-speed torque converter transmission to a seven-speed dual-clutch the shifting is still generally quite smooth and can be quite rewarding to take over manually using the prominent (though sadly plastic) shift paddles.

Naturally, the 118 doesn’t provide the raw performance of the M135, which doubles the power, adds AWD and a front limited-slip differential. Still, the entry-level hatch does benefit from changes made to the steering to help make it more engaging.

Additionally, the upgraded engine and drivetrain are rewarding and effective both when driven in anger and in more relaxed conditions, though there was some notable grumpiness from the dual-clutch transmission at very low speeds, which is typical for this transmission type.

Special compliments go to the start-stop system, which is brilliantly seamless even with any form of hybrid assistance.

It’s notable that, unlike its small SUV equivalent in the X1, the 1 Series isn’t available with a fully electric option, which is quite disappointing given how logical EVs are for the sort of short-distance driving hatches typically do.

The salesperson may point you across the showroom towards the newly released all-electric Mini Cooper, but this is only available with three-door form at present.

In our initial testing, the handling proved to be encouraging and fun, offering a healthy serving of the M135’s talent at a much more affordable price. It’s not earth-shatteringly good but the turn-in is sharp and the end result is a daily driver that offers a healthy serving of joy.

On the highway, the 118 returned a 5.4L/100km and I have no doubt it could do better. The official combined consumption claim is 6.4L/100km, with our drive experience at the Australian launch event consisting of largely b-roads and highway returning 7.1L/100km.

BMW no longer uses traditional service intervals but rather the 118 will notify you when certain items are due for replacement or inspection. The basic service pack covering five years or 80,000kms, whatever comes first, costs $2210.

Warranty is the industry standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre coverage.

While the M135 packs more of everything, I found myself warming to the characterful 118 during our initial drive, with BMW’s cheapest option making meaningful improvements to its performance and value.

While the 118’s circa-$60K driveaway is enough to secure a very respectable midsize SUV in Australia, what the entry-level 1 Series offers that these do not is a taste of what the Bavarian brand has to offer both outright and as a genuine driver’s machine, in areas such as the fundamental chassis tuning, drivetrain finesse and a general feel of fit and finish that is a cut above.

And if your daily duties largely consist of time on sealed roads with just you in the car, the argument for spoiling yourself with a taste of the good life is tempting indeed.