BMW 120i M Sport Auto Hatch 5-Door

from £322.22 per month

The BMW 1 Series is a premium hatchback that’s not only been a hit for the Bavarian brand, it also firmly established BMW as a player in the compact segment. We’re now into the third generation of the 1 Series, whose closest rivals are the equally upmarket Mercedes A-Class and Audi A3, but it also competes with higher-spec versions of hatchback stalwarts like the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Mazda 3.

There’s one big difference between the latest generation of 1 Series and its predecessors, though, and it’s one that caused consternation in the ranks of BMW enthusiasts when it was first announced.

BMW has built its reputation on fine handling rear-wheel drive cars, yet this 1 Series made the switch to a front-wheel drive platform that’s shared with the MINI Countryman and Clubman. The UKL2 platform that underpins the 1 Series was also used by the BMW X1 and 2 Series Active Tourer until very recently. As well as the obvious economies of scale, it’s a more space-efficient package, which has enabled BMW to improve the space inside its smallest model.