FirstDrive:BMW's 1-Series convertible offers a fun, sporty, drive and a range of engines including a diesel, writes Paddy Comyn
It is often said that bigger is better. But increasingly, in the case of the BMW range, this is not the case. Take the 1-Series for example. After a pretty shaky start, by giving us the less than pretty five-door model, we have been bombarded with spin-off models, which have changed many a commentators mind about the Bavarian brand's entry-level offering.
The 1-Series coupé is one of BMW's most entertaining cars to drive, and it harks back to the sheer enjoyment provided by the early 3-Series models of the 1980s. For a BMW fan of old, this new breed of 1-Series is giving back the compact thrills that the old 3-Series used to provide.
The 3-Series has grown into a rather ubiquitous executive car in various shapes and guises and, while it is technically brilliant, it has lost a lot of its charm. This is where the 1-Series comes in, and now there is yet another variation coming to our shores.
With the 3-Series convertible now laden with a rather heavy folding metal roof, it is refreshing to see that for their smallest convertible, BMW has opted to stick with a rag top, thus saving weight and over-complicated mechanisms.
The convertible is based on the coupé, so it has the same long bonnet, muscular wheel arches and short overhang as that model. Without having the need to store a folding metal roof, the proportions of the coupé have remained largely intact. The roof is powered electrohydraulically. It opens and closes at the touch of a button in 22 seconds, and it can be operated while driving at up to speeds of 40km/h, meaning that you can avoid those anxious moments at traffic lights where you are fearful of holding up a line of traffic.
The packaging of the car is very good and there is actually adequate room in the back for two adults. Unlike some other convertibles in this class, the windscreen is far away enough from the driver so as to give a real convertible feel with the roof down.
With the roof up, as will be the case most of the time in Ireland, you are well insulated from both traffic noise and the weather. Other features include leather upholstery and interior trim with sun-reflective technology, which means if you leave the roof open on a sunny day, you won't scald yourself off the leather when you sit back inside.
There will be seven engines offered in the 1-Series convertible in Ireland when it arrives in April. Top of the range is the 306bhp 3.0-litre straight-six Twin Turbo found in the 135i, followed by the car we drove at the launch, the excellent 218bhp six-cylinder 125i.
There will also be two four-cylinder petrol engines with 170bhp and 143bhp with the 120i and 118i respectively. The diesel range will consist of the 143bhp 118d, the 177bhp 120d and the 204bhp 123d.
The 125i we drove was quiet and extremely refined and suited the car really well. If Irish buyers can get their heads around buying a diesel convertible, then the 118d could drop in price enough to tempt buyers from July of this year. Otherwise the 118i is likely to be another popular choice.
Roof down or up, you get the usual sporty hallmarks of a small BMW. The steering is very responsive and assured and while this car does feel a little softer than its coupé cousin, you would forgive this somewhat, considering its structural differences.
With prices starting at €42,500 for the 118i and rising to €66,100 for the 135i, there are a range of convertible rivals to this car.
This car is infinitely better than cars like the Ford Focus coupé cabriolet and Volkswagen Eos which compete with the smaller engine models, but the mid to higher-range models face competition from cars such as the Audi TT Roadster and Audi A4 Cabriolet.
We would expect strong sales from the cars at the lower end of the range, where there is good value on offer.
The car arrives on April 5th, but we would advise you to wait and see what happens to the price of the 118d in July, which is likely to drop down to an irresistible price.
BMW 118i convertible€42,500; 143bhp/190Nm torque; max speed 210km/h; 0-100km/h in 9.3 seconds; fuel economy: 6.3 l/100km;
CO2:149g/km
BMW 118d convertible€45,300; 143bhp/300Nm torque; max speed 209km/h; 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds; fuel economy: 4.7 l/100km;
CO2:123g/km
BMW 120i convertible€47,450; 170bhp/210Nm torque; max speed 220km/h; 0-100km/h in 8.4 seconds; fuel economy: 6.6 l/100km;
CO2:158g/km
BMW 120d convertible€49,250; 177bhp/350Nm torque; max speed 222km/h; 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds;fuel economy: 5.1 l/100km;
CO2:134g/km
BMW 123d convertible€55,100; 205bhp/400Nm torque; max speed 238km/h; 0-100km/h in 7.0 seconds; fuel economy: 5.2 l/100km;
CO2:138g/km
BMW 125i convertible€54,150; 218bhp/270Nm torque; max speed 238km/h; 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds; fuel economy: 8.1 l/100km;
CO2:195g/km
BMW 135i Convertible€66,100; 306bhp/400Nm torque; max speed 250km/h 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds; fuel economy: 9.4 l/100km;
CO2:224g/km
ON SALE:April 5th, 2008