New BMW 118 brings sheer joy of urban driving

It was a sheer joy to drive the new BMW 1-series.

The compact hatchback was apt for excitement even in the bustling city center, with dozens of traffic signals and packed streets.

The media test drive for the new BMW 118d was held Monday, on a route spanning 14 kilometers from BMW’s Kolon showroom in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul, to the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul. The drive emulated the commuting route for average office workers, the main target customers for the new BMW 1-series, the carmaker later explained.

At a glance, the new BMW 118d may not look as classy and glamorous as its pricier siblings. But coming in trendy colors such as Valencia Orange and Imperial Blue, it does look friendlier to younger people.

The moment you put your foot on the accelerator and apply a little pressure, you can feel the engine roar, and speed go up. Still, the sound of the engine isn’t disturbing and the power not overwhelming, making the driver feel secure and safe. Despite the frequent stops at traffic signals, the excitement continued to linger. 

Cornering was very smooth even during a U-turn and the suspension was soft enough to suppress the road bumps. Though it was a brief ride, the merits of driving the new BMW 118d were projected well enough.

The specs are impressive, too. The 4-cylindrical 1,995 cc-engine has a maximum torque of 32.7 kg., and a maximum 150 horsepower. It marks the combined fuel economy of 17.4 km per liter, acknowledged as a grade-1 energy efficient car.

The company said the new BMW 1 series has undergone a dramatic facelift that is equivalent to a “full change.”

The latest BMW Efficient Dynamics technology was adjusted for the new 4-cylindrical diesel engine, which helped achieve the highest fuel efficiency among premium compact cars. The engine abides by the latest Euro 6 emission regulation, which will come into effect in Korea from September. From LED lamps to the better-designed kidney grilles, the exterior was also given a big facelift.

BMW Korea explained that the launch of the new 1-series is imperative because the cars represents the company’s zeal to access the younger demographics with a more compact model.

“The fact that all new facelifts come without a price hike shows our dedication and pride in the product itself,” a BMW publicist said. “But still, its horsepower and torque are the highest among its peers such as Audi’s A1 and Mercedes-Benz’s A-class. That’s what we are appealing to the 20- and 30-somethings who would choose the BMW 1-series as their first imported car,” he added.

As for the shortcomings, the backseats seemed a bit too small ― if the young drivers start a family and feel broody, they might have to consider swapping the car for a higher model. The manipulation of blinker, the light indicator, needs a lot of patience for the new users because it is quite sensitive, perhaps too sensitive.

The price, although frozen from the previous model, is also a matter of concern. It would require a lot of loyalty and dedication for a young person to choose the 118d over a large sedan Grandeur by domestic carmaker Hyundai for nearly the same amount of money.

But still, if you want to feel the dynamic and sporty, yet stable and safe driving on the roads of Seoul ― a city with more than 10 million population and equally-high proportion of car owners ― the new BMW 1-series is a good choice.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)