Road Test: BMW 116d Urban

Price as tested: €30,968

+ Much improved cabin and quality, handling and ride, economy
– Still ugly as heck
= Wait for the coupe

A word, firstly, about specification. For decades now, BMW has been happily getting by with just a few trim designations for its various cars. ES, SE, Sport and M-Sport seem to have been just fine, so quite why it has decided to add the pointless Urban spec to the new 1 Series we can’t quite figure out. All it seems to bring with it are silly little white caps on the wing mirrors and white vanes in the radiator grille. Pointless? Just a bit.

We also cannot figure out why it is that BMW can’t make the 1 Series as good looking as the 3 and 5. And 7. And Z4. The original 1 Series was stubby, pugnacious and sturdy looking. Definitely not pretty, but you could kind of see what they were driving at. This new one looks a little more harmonious, a little more softly styled, until you get round the front where it just looks like it’s been smacked in the mouth with a shovel.

Still, those are the only two major demerits we can think of in regard to the new 1 Series, which is a major dynamic and qualitative improvement on the last one.

Let’s start with the chassis, always the heart of the BMW experience. The electric power steering is a touch twirly-Atari-ish (as are all such systems thus far) but the weighting is better and more consistent than before and underneath, the ride quality has improved out of all recognition. We can remember a 1 Series coupe that, not so long ago, literally bounced us from one side of the road to t’other over a particularly vicious hump. This one is leagues better, with a firm, calmly damped assurance that lifts the 1 Series above its humble station. It feels mostly terrific to drive, lacking the old visceral steering feel of past BMWs, but still feeling tremendously positive and rewarding.

The cabin, too, has been improved. Before, you could always see the cost-cutting, but now, there is genuine quality to be had, gorgeous instruments (as always) and a new gimmick called EcoPro. EcoPro is part of the (standard) Drive Performance Control system, which works from a button down by the gear lever. Like Alfa Romeo’s DNA system, DPC allows you to toggle between three modes; Sport, Sport + and EcoPro. Sport and Sport + sharpen the throttle response, delay the onset of the stability control’s interventions and add extra weight to the steering. EcoPro dials all that back, and introduces a rather clever little display. Underneath the main trip computer readout, where you can read your effective fuel range remaining, EcoPro adds and extra strip telling you whether you are increasing or decreasing your range to empty. Keep a plus sign up there, and you give yourself a little extra room to breathe before your next refill. Simple, but effective.

Mind you, you’d be hard pressed to use too much fuel in the 116d. Ignore the badge; the’s actually a 2.0-litre four cylinder engine with (appropriately) 116bhp and 260Nm of torque. It’s a very willing, refined engine too, feeling nicely under-stressed even when you stretch its legs a bit, and rarely if ever betraying its diesel origins inside the cabin.

Better yet, it returns an entirely achievable 5.4-litres per 100km on the combined fuel economy cycle (52mpg, aided by stop-start and active aero trickery) and with Co2 emissions of 117g/km, here’s yet another BMW that will cost you just €160 a year to tax.

It’s also more spacious than before. Rear seats space is hardly cavernous, but it’s certainly an improvement, and the boot has now expanded to 360-litres.

So, another winner from BMW then? Hmmm. Not quite. You see, while prices do indeed start at around €27k, you wouldn’t be long hoicking that up above the €30k barrier and once you do that, you’re nudging gently up into 3 Series territory and no matter how good the 1 has become, the 3 is still superior. And, if it is a premium, high-quality hatchback you’re in the market for, well, why aren’t you just doing the sensible thing and buying a VW Golf which, model-for-model, should save you at least €5k over the 1 Series and is just as good to drive.

We like the 1 Series, in isolation at any rate. It now feels more like a proper BMW, it has been improved in every way except styling and its economy and emissions figures are beyond reproach. But it’s just not quite the car it should, or could, be. Maybe the forthcoming front-wheel-drive variant will redress the balance.


Facts & Figures

BMW 116d Urban
Price as tested: €30,968
Range price: €27,640 to €35,520
Capacity: 1,995cc
Power: 116bhp
Torque: 260Nm
Top speed: 190kmh
0-100kmh: 10.3sec
Economy: 5.4l-100km (52.3mpg)
CO2 emissions: 117g/km
VRT Band: A. €160 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 91% adult, 83% child, 63% pedestrian, 86% safety assist