BMW will be upgrading the 1 Series and 2 Series for 2017 with new and more fuel efficient engines being the key focus for the German brand.
New M Series
Let's start with the exciting stuff, the M series. The new M 1 Series and 2 Series will be powered by a 3.0 litre straight-six engine which produces 340bhp. TwinPower Turbo technology has been drafted in to help increase bhp and torque, as a result 500Nm is on offer and BMW have said this will ensure a instantaneous acceleration across almost the entire rev range. The TwinPower Turbo system uses a Twin Scroll turbocharger is extremely efficient thanks to it's compact size and is linked to an indirect intercooler.
The M140i and M240i Coupe will both hit 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds (4.6 seconds in the automatic), whilst the M240i convertible is a tad slower at 4.9 seconds for the manual and 4.7 seconds for the automatic. All three models have a limited top speed of 155mph. Prices start at £31,875 for the M140I and then go up to respective prices of £35,090 and £38,535 for the M240i Coupe and M240i Convertible.
New engines, better efficiency
The lower spec 1 and 2 Series have also been treated to new powertrains across all variants and will provide a higher amount of efficient thanks to the new Baukasten 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine. This engine also makes use of the TwinPower Turbo technology and will be available in the 20i, 25i and 30i variants, all of which offer a slightly higher output than the outgoing models.
The result is a faster acceleration and better fuel consumption and emissions some models achieving a 17g/km decrease. The eight-speed automatic will now be standard on the 125i whilst the 230i takes the place of the 228i on the 2 Series Coupe and Convertible, just to keep you on your toes.
iPerformance 7 Series
BMW have also announced the new 7 Series PHEV models which takes the technology from the BMW i and will implement them into mainstream models. These will be the 740e and the 740Le xDrive which will be priced from £68,330 and £74,880 respectively. The new models will join pre-existing PHEV models such as the BMW 225xe Active Tourer, BMW 330e saloon and BMW X5 xDrive40e.
Both models will be powered by a 2.0 litre TwinPower Petrol engine which combine with an electric motor produces 326bhp. Both cars will be able to cover 29 miles on the battery alone so handy if you are just nipping out to the shops but obviously not viable for long distance. In terms of CO2 emissions, you are looking at a figure between 49 and 56g/km and fuel consumption is between 113 to 134.5mpg.