Road Test : BMW 118i Sportline Hatch

Review by Tristan Tancredi - 28 March 2012

From the moment you enter the hatch and kick the engine over with keyless start, you will fall in love with the BMW 118i Hatch Sportline.

Perhaps it's the gorgeous 8 speed automatic transmission, perhaps it's the engaging front seats, perhaps it's the user friendly technology. Ultimately it's a combination of all these things that make this car so likeable.

Utilising Rear Wheel drive, the hatch boasts a BMW TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder in-line petrol (or diesel) engine and can deliver that burst of adrenalin car junkies are so often looking for.

With that in mind, let's get down the nitty gritty and see if the BMW 118i hatch sportline is the car for you.

Drive: 4.5/5

Available in 6 speed manual and 8 speed automatic, the 118i is the definition of the term "pocket rocket". It's quick off the mark and reaches fast speeds in good time. 7.5 seconds over 100 metres in fact.

The gear changes with the 8-speed automatic are quick, gentle and often barely noticeable to passengers (and sometimes the driver). BMW claim that the 8-Speed Steptronic Automatic transmission significantly reduces fuel consumption. That's true, if you are in Eco-Mode and drive the car accordingly.

Multiple driving modes are available in the Sportline, allowing drivers to switch between conserving fuel with the Eco-Pro mode, or planting the foot and getting some power in the Sport modes.

Stuck in traffic, switch it over to Eco Mode. Open Road ahead, whack on Sports + and enjoy the freedom of the open tarmac. This is all made possible with user friendly controls on the dash and centre console.

The gear changes, as mentioned, are gentle and reliable. However, sometimes in the lower gears the hatch will get confused between gears and roughly lurch forward.

The car holds its own into corners remaining stable and consistent.

Engine: 4/5

A BMW TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder in-line petrol (or diesel) engine with a technology package comprising TwinScroll turbocharger, High Precision Injection, Valvetronic Variable Valve Control and Double-VANOS variable camshaft control sits inside the hood of the Sportline hatch.

The engine noise is limited throughout the cabin, yet an audible purr of power transcends through. The audible noise of power is due to an impressive engine performance.

With maximum power of 125 kW and maximum torque of 250Nm, the 118i hatch is a gutsy little hatch overflowing with energy.

With fuel conservation a vital selling point to new car buyers, Start/Stop technology is making a rapid rise amongst new vehicles. The BMW 118i is no exception. Stopping at traffic lights and the engine will cut off to conserve fuel. Gently press the accelerator and the engine will kick back over albeit in a far from gently way.

Thankfully, if you are after a smooth trip to the shops, this function can be turned off and on easily.

Keeping it switched on however and the 118i drinks a respectable 5.9 litres per 100km (Depending on the driver of course).

Exterior: 4/5

The ambient lights hovering over all four door handles at dusk truly encapsulates the intended themes for BMW. Sporty, Fresh, Modern.

The folk at BMW claim that the car is "...full of energy, energy that can be sensed even at first glance". That claim is pretty much spot on.

From the 17" BMW Light alloy Star-Spoked wheels that sit beneath the 118i Sportline to the accentuated curves and lines of the sleek body of the hatch, the car is bustling with energy and screaming out to be driven.

Despite an aesthetic change to the exterior look, the front is still a typical BMW 1 series. The kidney-grille and the headlights remain true to the 1 series tradition, yet offer a fresh, modern twist.

The German made 118i Sportline hatch has a host of extra options available, ranging from Navigation to Parking Sensors.

Safety: 5/5

The 1 series carries a 5 star ANCAP safety rating over from its 2011 model (As of publication of this road test, the 2012 BMW 1 Series was yet to be tested).

Driver and front passenger, front and rear head, driver side and front passenger airbags fill out the cabin to offer extreme protection.

A feature of the 118i's impressive safety catalogue is its Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Antilock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assistant, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC).

Yet, Sports + Mode enables the driver to manually override the stability control to increase on-road sports performance.

A safety body shell rounds out a solid safe BWM. The shell absorbs impact to minimise in-car damage.

Interior: 4/5

Classy yet sporty is the best way to summarise the interior of the 118i hatch.

High gloss black trims with coral red access lines are dashed throughout the interior offering an authentic sporty BMW look and feel. This look is complimented by comfortable Sports front seating and a uniquely red stitched, black sports steering wheel.

The seating position doesn't exactly sit on top of the steering wheel. It feels like the driver has low visibility to the road ahead regardless of how high the seat is. This, coinciding with poor access to the rear vision mirror culminates in average on road visibility.

An on-road computer monitors all driving habits and fuel use and displays the information next to the speedo.  A 6.5" screen is the main feature of the dashboard and displays all car preferences, radio and bluetooth functions.

Now, I thought I was losing my mind when it came to the radio. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to scan through unprogrammed stations. Before going crazy, I gave another car enthusiast the task of browsing the radio.

With our two minds together (and help from the manual) it took over ten minutes to accomplish a task that should be simple. Despite having state of the art technology and a user friendly layout, something so simple was made awfully complicated.

Of course, now that we have learnt the trick of radio programming, it seems reasonable, yet slightly strange how BMW have designed it.

The sound system containing 6 loudspeakers nontheless is decent, yet far from mindblowing.

In the back and the legroom is limited for the average human. It's comfortable, yet a bit of a squeeze.  The luggage compartment boasts 360l of space and even more with the back seats folded down.

Overall: 4/5

The 118i Sportline hatch is your ultimate small city car.

With the addition of Eco-Pro mode, the 118i is friendly on fuel use, manouvres well on all surfaces and is simple and user friendly.

The ability for the vehicle to perform so well on both sides of the spectrum is very impressive. On the one hand it can conserve fuel in Eco-Pro and offer a comfortable, smooth ride. Yet with a flick of aswitch, you can be powering along open roads in its Sport + mode.

Looking, feeling and driving like you would expect a BMW, it truly is a Sporty, Fresh and Modern 1 Series vehicle. So check out the BMW 118i Sportline Hatch.

* Prices are manufacturer list prices only, for the drive away price please contact your local authorised BMW dealer.