What do we think of....

[Exonian]

... the latest comtender to take your cash instead of a “Performance Golf”?

https://configure.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/configure/F40/1SMP/FPDFM,S01AG,S01CB,S01DE,S01RN,S0230,S0249,S02NH,S02PA,S02TB,S02VB,S02VC,S02VE,S0302,S0313,S0418,S0423,S0428,S0430,S0431,S0470,S0493,S0494,S04GQ,S04P2,S0508,S0534,S0544,S0563,S05A2,S05AQ,S0654,S06AE,S06AF,S06AK,S06C4,S06U3,S0704,S0710,S0711,S0715,S0754,S0760,S0775,S0812,S0853,S0880,S08KA,S08R9,S08S2,S08S3,S08SM,S08TF,S08TG

Interesting that the 135i like the A35 has just over 300PS when the usually more comservative VW had been mooting around 340PS previously for the mk8 R.
I wonder if WLTP will mean VW will keep the next R nearer 300.

As for the 135i, typically BMW ugly but not as disproportioned as the RWD car, almost similar to the new Focus in styling but not quite as awful. Hopefully the mk8 won’t be quite as bad as either.
The A35 has the best looks of the crop for me (so long as 19” wheels optioned).
I think the 135i has well over 300 lb ft from what I read somewhere which is a good thing. An 8 speed gearbox though? Do we need that hiccuping non stop in auto mode? My manual GTI can be slotted in 6th about 30mph and will happily sit there pulling well to any speed even on an incline making good progress.
Do we need 8 gears constantly cog swapping?

The one thing that does strike me and the reason I posted in here is how well the mk7 Golf still stacks up against these much newer designs aside from a few tech details such as better AID displays.
BMW and Merc (and definitely Ford) don’t seem to have moved the game on much.
I think I’d still buy a Golf over any of the new pretenders. I might eat my words at some point.

[steve12345]

Surely a latest generation 8 speed auto from bmw won't be "hiccupping" with every gear change?

I had a 116D prior to the GTI and whenever I had loan cars from bmw with auto boxes they where very smooth and seemless, much like the DSG in the GTI. I presume the latest bmw autobox will be very good. If your pushing on in Manual mode then 8 speeds might seem a bit much if they are quite close together, but in auto I'm sure it would work its way through the gears without any fuss.

Going front wheel drive is a shame though.

[fredgroves]

I priced a A35 the other day... ouch.

That's me done with that - I'm not buying a car with a RRP of more than £40k

And they don't seem to have anything around the 250bhp fwd mark that I could see. Its either A35 fire breather 4wd auto or nothing.

I resent having to pay £400 for android auto too!

Extra for LED headlights? Really?

The BMW.... its not as ugly as it used to be, which is good, but until I can see the configurator for it I don't know if the various tech they talk about in the announcement is included or extra. It sounded to me like extra.... typical BMW extra too. I'd also expect it to be very small inside.

I know people are a bit meh about the Mk8 shape so far, but can't help but feel that assuming it is similarly spec'ed to a Mk7.5 GTI performance, you've got far better value for money out the box than either the Merc or the Beemer offer - by a hefty old margin too.

I'm still 6 months away from having to take it seriously, but at the moment, I'm still angling for a Mk8.

[king monkey]

I actually can’t believe that bmw made the 1 series even more ugly, but they managed it. Hats off to them. From what I’ve seen of the car the proportions are completely out. I quite like the rear but as soon as you get the profile or a 3 quarter view the car quickly looks terrible.
I think that bmw have done a good job inside though. New seats look very good indeed.
Think you’re right though that the Golf still looks good against the new cars on the block, in terms of power, technology, standard spec and pricing. Think that shows what a great job Vw have done right across the Mk7 lifecycle.
As Chris Harris said ‘Buy a Golf.’ 

[Watts]

My manual GTI can be slotted in 6th about 30mph and will happily sit there pulling well to any speed even on an incline making good progress.

That's one of the things that surprised me when I got mine. Great on the motorway, I rarely change gear! As to that new BMW, it doesn't look like a performance version, it's so bland it could be base spec. I could never have a BMW anyway, my OH has a deep hatred of them, no idea why

[candy turbo]

my last car was an M2 , looked great , sounded amazing , drove crap ! ill never own another bmw !

[Hawaii-Five-O]

OP: In all honesty this 3rd gen 1 Series is a bit Marmite. From some angles it looks quite angry and squat, from others it looks bland and a bit wrong. Like a squashed X2. We need to see one in the flesh before righting it off. The interior and tech are a big step up from the current model. Obviously its now gone AWD, as have all 300ps hot hatches, but the B48 engine is sweet by all accounts. It puts out 450 Nm (same as the original M135i 3ltr straight six) which is very, very decent and best in class (for cars clustered around 300ps). The ZF 8 speed is a thing of wonder. It really is. Smooth as silk, fast and never ever hiccups IMHO I'd say its even better than DSG, but not by much.

I can tell you this, there is one hell of a debate raging on the 'other' forum I frequent. Near mutiny

It's key problem with this new 1er is cost!! With must-have options its about 40k which, which lets be honest, for a small hot hatch is friggin' bananas! That is over 11k more than I paid for my current M140i which is fully loaded.

I am eagerly awaiting some images of the Mk8 GTI and R as I'd like to change my car in the next 12 months or so. I like what I've seen so far but the front end/light cluster is a bloody disaster compared to the Mk7. Let's wait and see what they do.

[Ian_C]

I’m a bit of a BMW fan but can’t get to grips with the looks of the 1 series beyond the first generation hatch & coupe - have never figured out why they changed it. This latest one isn’t any better and the grill looks ridiculous, maybe it’s a grower. Not a fan of the Mercedes interiors right now either, the infotainment screens look like they’ve superglued an iPad to the dash imo. So it’s difficult to look beyond the golf really. Quite looking forward to the mk8 and hope that the performance models come along before end of May 2020 when I’m due to change my 7.5 gtd. Saw a grey TCR in the dealers yesterday, still looks fresh & current even though the shape is getting on a bit. VW still leading the field for me.

[Philb280]

I too,like BMW,s - had a few but never been a fan of the 1 series, looks like a breadvan to me. I was looking at getting a M235i prior to the Golf - just out of my price range unfortunately.

[Exonian]

Interesting opinions as ever.
I can but imagine the horror some of the BMW die hards are expressing on their respective forums.

I think in the metal it’ll be an interesting shape, like a big Dinky Toy.
As with most of the new generation hatches it’s styled like an SUV but they haven’t done too bad a job of it.
Thanks for confirming the engine torque H-F-O, that figure alone would be a big draw for me as that’s going to be really useful in real world driving and where it will score on the roll against the likes of the R and more so the A35.
I don’t doubt the ZF 8 speed is a thing of wonder but that’s still a lot of gears for the TCU to hunt through and I find little rev coughs irritating as autos change gear, I don’t care how quick the changes might be!
If the car has prodigious torque like the 6 cyl turbo from very low revs and gets into top gear quite quickly using the torque to pull it up to speed with haste then its my type of car.

I still think the mk7 Golf holds its head high on balance against this new generation of hatches, not bad for a seven year old car.