BMW has been offering Individual paint options for the 1 Series for about three years. You’ll be glad to hear the transition from the F40 to the F70 isn’t changing that. The compact five-door hatchback can be ordered with fancy colors, even this lowly 120. It’s a base three-cylinder version with the M Sport Package finished in Frozen Portimao Blue.
This matte Individual color costs €2,250 at home in Germany and it certainly makes the 1er more eye-catching. Since this isn’t a hot M135, it has the quirky kidney grille design we’ve seen recently on the new X3 in non-M Performance guise. With the more expensive M Sport Package Pro, you can have that unusual grille fully blacked out.
The 120 we had the privilege of shooting had 18-inch wheels but BMW optionally offers a 19-inch set. We’re living in an interesting timeline, one in which you can buy a 1 Series with a 1.5-liter engine, large wheels, and a matte paint job. The fact that it’s also front-wheel drive doesn’t come as a surprise anymore. As a reminder, the F70 has sadly lost the manual gearbox its predecessor had.
All flavors of the 1er get that small gear selector for the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. Don’t go looking for the iDrive controller since it’s gone as well. While the exterior gives the impression of a Life Cycle Impulse for the previous model with X2-esque taillights, the cabin is all-new. It’s the latest BMW to embrace minimalism by getting rid of most physical controls.
Up next should be the new 2 Series Gran Coupe (F74), which goes official this fall. Once again, BMW’s entry-level car in the United States will essentially be a 1 Series Sedan. There actually used to be a car named like that in China but it was discontinued. In its place, there’s going to be a long-wheelbase 2 Series Gran Coupe (F78) from 2025.
