India Bound BMW 1-Series Facelift revealed at Geneva 2015

German automaker BMW has taken the wraps off the facelifted, 2015 1-Series hatchback, which is India bound. The car sees minor visual changes on the outside, with feature changes on the inside. A new set of 1.5 liter turbo petrol and turbo diesel engines have been added. A few of the older line up of petrol and turbo diesel engines get power boosts. The sporty hatchback continues to retain its low slung stance, the 50:50 weight distribution, and the rear wheel drive layout. Specific variants of the car sold in European markets can be specified with an all wheel drive layout.

Delving into the major changes in detail, the headlamps of the car are all new, and can now be specified with LEDs. Daytime running LEDs are now standard fare, while the front grille is a changed item. The air intakes on the front of the car get larger. At the rear, the LED powered tail lamps are all-new units. Alloy wheels of the 2015 version of the 1-Series get a revised design. On the inside, climate control, radio and the iDrive infotainment system now form standard equipment. Seats get revised upholstery and this is pretty much what has visually changed on the innards of the car.

In terms of features, the optional parking assist system gets revamped for additional functionality while the adaptive cruise control feature with stop-go is another optional feature. If the buyer specifies BMW’s factory fitted navigation system, the iDrive screen on the dashboard grows to 8.8 inches. The 1.5 liter-3 cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines power the base variants of the facelifted 1-Series. While the petrol motor makes 108 Bhp-180 Nm, the turbo diesel motor outputs 116 Bhp-270 Nm. For India though, 4 pot petrol and diesel engines are likely to be retained.

The 1.6 liter turbo petrol motor on the 118i variant, retains its 136 Bhp power and 220 Nm torque outputs. The 2 liter turbo diesel engine on the 118d variant gains power, now delivering 150 Bhp, while the peak torque of 320 Nm remains unchanged. Both engines turn the rear wheels of the hatchback by means of an 8 speed automatic transmission, although European buyers can also order the 1-Series Facelift with a 6 speed manual gearbox. Start-Stop, brake energy regeneration, an electric power steering, the Eco-Pro mode and gear shift indicator are standard fare, while the India-spec diesel powered car also gains a coasting function when the Eco-Pro mode is activated.