2017 BMW 1 Series 5 doors (F20) LCI 118d xDrive 6MT AWD (150 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Usually, BMW didn’t make two facelifts for the same car, but it made an exception for the second generation of the 1 Series lineup, which, after a refresh in 2015, got another one in 2017.

There were no significant legislation changes to force BMW to introduce a new range of engines or create additional safety systems to comply with some standards in Europe or elsewhere. However, it tried to keep the last batch of the RWD 1 Series appealing to its customers. While the previous update was significant in terms of styling and engineering, the second LCI (Life Cycle Impulse), the term used by BMW for facelifts, was more subtle. And yet, some essential novelties surprised the brand’s fans.

By 2017 standards, chromed trims started to be out of trend. Customers started to ask for blacked-out decorations, and they even paid extra money to lose all the shiny parts on their vehicles, regardless of the brand. The German automaker noticed that and offered more versions of the 2017 BMW 1 Series 5 doors with a shiny black grille and even dark inserts inside the headlights. These contrasted nicely with the white LED corona lights featuring flat bottoms. The standard apron featured a slim and wide trapezoidal air intake in the middle flanked by a pair of side scoops adorned by a horizontal slat. At the same time, vehicles that were optioned with the M Sport package had a much more aggressive stance. They had a broad air intake in the middle and rectangular scoops to flank it.

From its profile, the 2017 BMW 1 Series 5 doors hatchback didn’t differ too much from its predecessor, albeit there were two new colors available: Sunset Orange and Seaside Blue. In addition, the automaker offered the option for black door mirror caps, which emphasized the car’s sporty character. Furthermore, BMW added five new options for the 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels. In the back, the smoked taillights looked like they came from the tuning community, albeit they were OEM. Their LED stripes contrasted even better with the darker design of the lenses.

Inside, BMW redesigned the dashboard of the 2017 1 Series 5 doors. In addition, it offered new materials for the upholstery and even contrast stitching. A significant improvement was made to the iDrive infotainment system. For the first time in a 1 Series, the automaker installed an 8.8-inch touchscreen atop the center stack. This was a feature demanded by many customers, but the automaker said that the display was too far anyway to be useful. But still, it introduced it. Unfortunately, the automaker couldn’t improve legroom for the rear-seated passengers. They still sat on the same standard 60/40 bench seat with an option for a 40/20/40 split system that could enlarge the trunk space.

Under the hood, the automaker kept the same engine lineup, starting with a mundane inline-three turbocharged powerplant that provided 109 PS (108 hp) paired with a six-speed manual only. Starting with the 118i version, customers could opt for an eight-speed automatic gearbox from ZF. Selected diesel and gasoline powerplants could be fitted with BMW’s xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system.