BMW unveils new 3-door 1 Series 15 | 05 | 2012

THE SECOND-GENERATION BMW 1 Series three-door will go on sale in Scottish dealerships from September. The new model joins the five-door, and buyers will have a choice from four petrol and three diesel engines (see more official photos of the new 3-door 1 Series).

The new rear-wheel drive hatch is also longer and wider than the outgoing model. Built on a new platform, the new 1 Series is 85mm longer and 17mm wider, has a 30mm longer wheelbase, plus a wider track, an additional 51mm at the front, 72mm at the back.

Not surprisingly, that growth has resulted in more interior space: there's 21mm more rear legroom and, at 360 litres, 30 litres more luggage space.

The range gets a new entry model, the 101bhp 114i powered by BMW’s turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine. It returns 51.4mpg and emits 129g/km CO2.

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In addition, there's a new 216bhp 125i, which will go head-to-head with the VW Golf GTi and is powered by BMW's turbocharged 2.0 petrol engine. BMW claims a 0-62mph time of 6.4sec, when the car is fitted with the standard six-speed manual. The optional eight-speed auto takes an additional 0.1s. Top speed is 152mph, and the 125i delivers 42.8mpg 44.1mpg (auto).

The range of diesels includes three versions of the 2.0-litre four-pot, 114bhp, 141bhp and 215bhp in the 116d, 118d and 125d respectively.

There's also an ultra-frugal 116d EfficientDynamics which is capable of 74.3mpg and a 99g/km CO2 by dint of its optimised aerodynamics and altered gearing.

And by the middle of next year, just in time for winter, BMW's Scottish dealerships will have four-wheel-drive version of the five-door 120d from November.

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Jim McGill