BMW South Africa has released pricing for its new 1 Series hatchback, with the two-strong local range expected to arrive on local soil in October 2019.
As we reported after the reveal of the new F40-generation 1 Series (which has, of course, switched to a front-wheel-drive platform) in May 2019, only the petrol-powered 118i and range-topping M135i xDrive will be offered in South Africa at launch. That means SA will miss out on the 116d, the 118d and the 120d xDrive … initially, at least.
So, how much are we looking at here? Well, the 118i will be priced from R480 897, and uses a turbocharged 1,5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine sending 103 kW and 220 N.m to the front wheels. It’s unclear whether the firm’s “further-developed” six-speed manual gearbox will be offered on this derivative, or whether this price includes the seven-speed dual-clutch Steptronic transmission.
And the M135i xDrive? Well, the all-wheel-drive hot hatch – which will battle the likes of the Audi S3 Sportback, fresh-faced Mercedes-AMG A35 and Volkswagen Golf R – will be priced from R705 451, making it some R15 000 less expensive than the outgoing rear-driven (six-cylinder) M140i. As a reminder, the turbocharged 2,0-litre four-cylinder unit generates 225 kW and 450 N.m, directed to all four corners via an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission with launch control.
That’s enough for a sprint to three figures in a claimed 4,8 seconds (or one-tenth quicker with the upcoming M Performance package specified) and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. A mechanical Torsen limited-slip differential, M Sport steering and uprated brakes are all part of the M135i package.
