Road TestCar reviews - BMW - 1 Series - 120d 5-dr hatchBMW modelsOverviewBMW improves its fire-cracking 120d turbo-diesel hatch, but is it worth $50,000?6 Dec 2007 FRENCH cars do it. Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz cars do it. And now BMWs do it, too. Performance turbo-diesels, that is. It’s all the rage. Of course, the Bavarian car-maker has been at it overseas for decades, but only recently has our fuel been low enough in sulphur for BMW to begin importation of its 1, 3 and 5 Series diesels. In early 2007, the smallest – the 120d – received a torquier, more economical engine in the mildly facelifted Series II. At around $50,000, it’s expensive. But is it worth the extra over the superb Ford Focus TDCi and VW Golf GT Sport TDI? Model release date: 1 March 2007 to 1 August 2009 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelAnnoyingly for buyers of the original 120d, the car stayed on the market for barely nine months before a slightly torquier and more economical facelift arrived to oust the 130kW/330Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. That’s progress, but the earlier car is no slouch, injecting a strong, frugal and sporty character to the already quite-special 1 Series five-door hatch. Of course, all the model’s limitations remain – tight rear seat, limited cargo space, small apertures and a firm ride – but for a frugal, involving and satisfying small-car experience, the 2006 120d is hard to beat. |
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