The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (

C-segment The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2011, the C ...

) manufactured by BMW since 2004. It is the successor to the

BMW 3 Series Compact The BMW 3 Series Compact is a 3-door hatchback version of the BMW 3 Series, which was produced from 1993 through 2004. Initially based on the E36 platform, it switched to the E46 platform in 2001. The launch models were powered by four-cylinder ...

and is currently in its third generation. Positioned as the entry level model in BMW range of products, the first generation was produced in

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

and

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving exp ...

body styles. Since 2014, the coupé and convertible models have been marketed separately as the 2 Series, therefore the 1 Series range no longer includes these body styles. A four-door sedan model became available for the Chinese market in 2017, using the front-wheel drive platform that is also used the basis for the third-generation 1 Series hatchback. A high-performance

BMW M BMW M GmbH, formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a subsidiary of BMW AG that manufactures high-performance cars. BMW M ("M" for "motorsport") was initially created to facilitate BMW's racing program, which was very successful in the 1960 ...

version called the BMW 1 Series M Coupé was produced for the first generation. Due to the 1 Series coupé model being replaced by the 2 Series, the 1 Series M Coupé was replaced by the BMW M2 in 2016. For the first two generations, the 1 Series uses a

rear-wheel drive Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel ...

layout, while all-wheel drive was introduced as an option since 2012. For the third generation introduced in 2019, the 1 Series switched to a

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional long ...

layout, while retaining the all-wheel drive option.

First generation (E81/E82/E87/E88; 2004)

The first generation of the 1 Series consists of the following body styles: * 3-door hatchback (E81) * 5-door hatchback (E87) * coupé (E82) * convertible (E88) This generation was produced from 2004 to 2013 and is sometimes collectively referred to as the E8x. The E8x replaced the 3 Series Compact as the entry level models of the BMW range. All models were

, which was a rare configuration in the hatchback market segment. The engines available were four-cylinder turbo-diesel, four-cylinder

naturally aspirated Naturally may refer to: ;Albums * ''Naturally!'', an album by Nat Adderley * ''Naturally'' (Houston Person album) * ''Naturally'' (J. J. Cale album) * ''Naturally'' (John Pizzarelli album) * ''Naturally'' (Sharon Jones album) * ''Naturally'' ...

petrol, six-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol and six-cylinder turbocharged petrol (the latter only available on coupé and convertible models). The 1 Series M Coupé is powered by the BMW N54 turbocharged inline-six engine and uses a six-speed manual transmission. It was produced in only the coupé body style and is considered the predecessor to the BMW M2. File:BMW 120d (E87) – Frontansicht, 15. April 2012, Mettmann.jpg, BMW 1 Series (E87) File:BMW 1-Series coupe -- 12-15-2011.jpg, BMW 1 Series Coupé (E82) File:BMW 1er M Coupé (E82) – Frontansicht, 1. Juni 2013, Düsseldorf.jpg, BMW 1 Series M Coupé (E82) File:BMW 118i Cabriolet (E88) – Frontansicht, 15. April 2012, Mettmann.jpg, BMW 1 Series Cabriolet (E88)

Second generation (F20/F21; 2011)

The second generation of the 1 Series consists of the following body styles: * 5-door hatchback (F20) * 3-door hatchback (F21) From this generation onwards, the coupé and convertible models have been marketed separately using the BMW 2 Series nameplate. This generation was produced from 2011 to 2019 and is often collectively referred to as the F20. The F20/F21 was initially powered by inline-four petrol, inline-four diesel and

inline-six The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balan ...

petrol engines. In 2015, inline-three petrol and diesel engines were added to the model range. All engines are

turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...

. Unlike most hatchback competitors, the F20/F21 uses

(rather than front-wheel drive) for most models. The F20/F21 is the first 1 Series to offer an optional

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one ...

(called " xDrive" by BMW).

Third generation (F40; 2019)

The third generation of the 1 Series was released in 2019. Unlike the previous generation F20 1 Series, the F40 1 Series uses a front-wheel drive configuration with an all-wheel drive option, and sharing its platform with the F48 X1, F39 X2, 2 Series Gran Coupé, and others. The F40 1 Series is only available as a 5-door hatchback.

China-market sedan (F52; 2017)

The 1 Series (F52) is a four-door sedan that began production in 2017 in China. The F52 has been built specifically for the Chinese market by

BMW Brilliance BMW Brilliance (officially BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.) is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Shenyang, China and a joint venture between BMW (as majority holder) and Brilliance Auto. Its principal activity is the production, ...

, a joint venture between BMW and

Brilliance Auto Huachen Automotive Group Holdings Co. Ltd., known for its brand name Brilliance Auto Group, was a Chinese multinational automobile manufacturer holding company headquartered in Shenyang. Its products include automobiles, microvans, and automotiv ...

. Unlike other BMW 1 Series cars of the time, it uses the front-wheel drive UKL platform. The F52 was later sold in Mexico in 2018.

References

{{BMW cars: 2000s–2010s 1 Series Compact cars Hatchbacks Convertibles Coupés