2007 BMW 1 Series 3 doors (E81) 123d 6MT RWD (204 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Less than three years after the introduction of the 1 Series’ first generation, BMW unveiled the facelift for this compact hatchback in a three-door shape at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show.

Sales for the first generation of the five-door version of the 1 Series (E87 in factory coding) looked promising. In its first three years, the five-door hatchback exceeded the 3 Series compact (E36) sales in its seven-year production run. Then, BMW decided to launch the three-door version of its entry-level range, bumping the sales, also known as the E81 in factory coding. Thanks to this new version, sales jumped over the barrier of 200,000 units in the following years despite the world financial crisis that followed. The refreshed version, or Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) as BMW liked to call it, was unveiled in March 2007 in Switzerland, with sales for the three-door model starting in May of the same year.

Up front, the three-door 1 Series came with the refreshed front fascia for the entire range, featuring xenon headlights and clear covers for the twin-headlamp unit. There were small differences between the facelifted and the non-facelifted version of the car. But a keen eye for detail could spot them on the kidney grille, which featured rounded upper outer corners instead of sharp ones. Furthermore, the lower bumper was new and had a broad air intake that ran along the entire width of the apron, integrating the available rectangular fog lamps. Previously, these were rounded and flanked the center-mounted air intake.

The car’s profile appeared similar to the five-door version, albeit with two fewer doors. However, the E81 seemed sportier thanks to its longer doors with frameless windows. Furthermore, the rear side windows were shorter and arched down to amplify the car’s dynamic look. Another detail that came along with the facelifted version of the range was the side crease that crossed the vehicle front to back, which visually connected the front fenders to the taillights. Out back, the slightly tilted forward rear window of the tailgate was adorned at the top by a roof spoiler. The taillights were also redesigned and had two clear lenses, one for the reversing lights and the other for the turn signals. As a last detail, the rear bumper was smoother since it didn’t have a sculptured line from side to side.

The car’s interior was new, featuring a redesigned steering wheel and silver decorations on the lower spoke. In addition, the dashboard also sported new materials and the available swing-up screen for the iDrive infotainment system. Customers were greeted by high-bolstered seats at the front that could be tilted forward to allow access to the rear bench seat. BMW noticed that even in the five-door bodywork, there was limited legroom for those seated there. As a result, the three-door version looked like a proper approach to the segment. It even offered a four-seat layout where the rear bench seat was profiled for two and featured a center storage compartment. The trunk space was large enough for weekly shopping and a holiday in two but not large enough to accommodate the luggage for a family of four.

On the engineering side, the refreshed version of the 1 Series came with improved engines that provided more power than the 2004 model year. Furthermore, these updated powerplants were made to be quickly adapted to the Euro 5 emission standards due to be entered in 2009. Most versions were available with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, which transformed the shortest BMW into an excellent city cruiser.