A recession-busting BMW is here. The new BMW 116 diesel.
THE BMW 1 series range now consists of 5 door and 3 door hatchbacks, with diesel and petrol power, a two-door coupe and two-door convertible. The least expensive new BMW is the 116d so it is a car that is attainable to many.
Road Tested by Hugh Maguire
Since July 1 last year cars such as this one with its low emissions have benefited with a drop in price, furthermore just last month (November) BMW reduced the prices of their cars even further. This BMW 116 diesel is no compromise as it offers great economy with good performance.
The 116d also features BMW's "Efficient Dynamics" in essence a system whereby once you come to a stop at say a set of traffic lights and put the car in neutral the engine shuts down, but will instantly fire up again once your foot hits the clutch to go. This saves a lot of fuel and reduces emissions particularly in stop-start city driving. The system is very clever and you very soon get used to it shutting down and firing up automatically.
First Impressions
Ok let's be brutally honest here! I don't think the 1 series hatchback is a stylish good-looking car. I would not call it beautiful but the style works in a chunky bold sort of way.
Behind The Wheel
The cabin is typically BMW, neat functional and ergonomically well designed. There are plenty of different trim specifications available, so plenty to choose from. In its styling it's almost minimalist with just two round dials in the instrument binnacle and the audio and ventilation controls in the centre console.
The driving position is excellent allowing even the tallest or indeed smaller folk find the most suitable position. The level of standard equipment is pretty good really with a multiplicity of airbags, Dynamic stability and traction control, ABS, DBC (Dynamic Brake Control),CBC (Cornering Brake Control), multifunction steering, a decent CD with Aux input for your iPod or MP3 and a host of other hidden technologies including for example brake energy regeneration for added efficiency.
The cabin is roomy up front and surprisingly the rear is not too bad for a 3-door hatch of this size.
Performance
The 116d coupe is powered by BMW's 1995cc 4 cylinder turbo diesel which is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.
I burned just 5.1 litres of diesel per 100km over my test period. With emissions of just 118g/100km it means it falls into the cheapest category of car tax too.
Overall performance is pretty good really with plenty of mid-range punch for safe overtaking and plenty of get up and go from the willing diesel.
Road Behaviour
Driving dynamics are really what BMW claim sets this car apart from any of its rivals. The combination of a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution and rear wheel drive do certainly make for a responsive handling car. On a twisty country road the car feels particularly poised and stable even when pushed hard. It is a true driver's car proving responsive with loads of feedback. Sadly though the ride is let down badly by the fitting of low profile run-flat tyres, which have to have such a hard sidewall that they transmit all the road imperfections into the car making it feel joggly on anything but our new motorways.
Verdict
The BMW 116d costs r24,995. This car will suit those looking for something a bit different in a compact bodystyle, yet without compromises in areas such as performance and economy.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Tullamore
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 7 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North east
