Road Test: BMW 116i Sport Line

The arrival of a brand new BMW used to be as important as a general election. It only occurred once every couple of years and when it did, there was much anticipation and importance surrounding the event. Most significantly around what new technology the Munchens had developed for it and whether it was good enough to knock competitors Audi or Mercedes-Benz, back into the docks at the Nuremburg trials.

Nowadays, BMW make a car every fortnight and by the looks of them, they allow someone new to have a go at designing them every fortnight too, (maybe even the kitchen lady in respect of the 1-Series Hatch). As a result, there is a lot less fanfare surrounding a new BMW. It’s a bit like Bob De Niro doing a load of slapstick comedies in his old age, when we all still want him to do Godfather movies. Oh no wait, that is what’s happening.

Whatever. In the hatchback world the Volkswagen Golf VI is utterly secure in its two thirds majority control of the market, the Ford Focus is one of the official opposition, as is the Audi A3 that’s become a little decrepit, old and in much need of Botox. So does that leave the new 1-Series Hatch the only C-segment car of choice for the exclusive and otherwise disenfranchised set?

The original 1-Series was something of a catalyst for change within BMW and its adaptation into many markets. Some argue the 1-Series Hatch is almost an iconic classic now: a sensible C-segment vehicle with fresh, aspirational design and great driving dynamics. So the arrival of this latest 1-Series should be accompanied with similar expectations. Bold, distinctive visual appeal, contemporary technology and an all-encompassing ‘wow-factor’ should dominate. Sadly though, it just doesn’t. The 116i Sport doesn’t look fantastic with its huge face and fussy styling lines that run down the length of the car to the rear three-quarter and tailgate. I suppose you can say it has presence, but so does a Rottweiler that’s just been woken from a quiet slumber.

The interior of the 116i is where it makes a monumental leap forward. Particularly if you end up in a car like our press unit, that must have had all the options boxes ticked. Besides that, there is loads of synergy between the driver interfaces, the fascia and the overall styling. Climbing into the cabin is nothing short of an event. Anyone with a modern disposition towards iPhone’s will not say it’s confusing to operate and they’ll enjoy the connectivity afforded with BMW Connected, allowing them to surf the web, perform Facebook / Twitter updates, etc. I think the interior and the gadgets allow the 1-Series to make a considerable leap closer to the Golf VI in terms of desirability.

With 100 kW and 220 Nm from its 1.6-litre turbocharged powerplant, it’s not going to be fast, but it should be zesty and fizzy, befitting its ‘Sport’ moniker. However, it doesn’t deliver in my book. For a car to qualify as sporty in my mind, it has to have a rorty exhaust note, an involving, rev happy engine, a slick manual shift action, bullish steering and a clutch and brake pedal with plenty of feel. The 116i makes a right mess of all of these. The throws on the six speed manual are accurate, but crunchy in between the gates. The numb clutch pedal makes up its own mind as to whether you’ll stall or set off in a forward trajectory. To stop it from bogging down instantly as the clutch pedal is released, you tend to slip the clutch on the takeoff, ensuring you have some ‘go’. Quite obviously the road testers before me were doing the same thing, because with just 5 000 km on the odo, the clutch felt knackered.

The electronically power assisted steering gives great feel most of the time, occasionally it suffers from being too numb in the centre of its radius, but for the most part its very good and you can sense that underneath that assistance there is loads of grip from the front and loads of handling from the rear suspension, waiting to be accessed. The chassis is rigid, while providing loads of comfort and responsiveness and the brakes on our test unit had good feel too.

Finally, we must return to the 100 kW engine. It didn’t ever feel capable of carrying around the heavy, 1-Series body. The power delivery only coming in un-linear, boosty, lungful’s of turbo. I’d say it even performed like a diesel engine some of the time; it was that unresponsive low down. The engine also isn’t helped by the new obsession manufacturers must now show towards eco-ism, with ‘Eco-Pro’ coming as standard on all 1-Series Hatch’s. It’s great for the CO2 and economy tests, not good for driver involvement – a gear down to fourth or sometimes third gear on the uphill’s being the most common outcome. Expect the six cylinder versions, or 120d, or even the 118i to be the genuine, much sharper, sporty article then.

The last thing is price. Although the 116i is the cheapest BMW you can buy, our test vehicle was jam packed with toys. Let’s start with the base price of R286 000 for the Sport Line. On top of this figure comes: R1 016 for Co2 emissions tax; R8 500 for the double-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels; R8 600 for the leather interior with its black and red highlights; a whopping R19 100 for the ‘Drive Comfort’ package and R17 500 for the ‘Drive Lights’ package; finally, the ‘Connected Drive’ package adds R29 700. At the end of it all, you have the ‘cheapest’ BMW, that’ll set you back R370 416. Yikes.

What we like…

• A rigid chassis that gives good grip and ride comfort.
• Comfortable interior.

What we would like…

• More response from the engine. Maybe a different sort of engine all together.
• A redesign of the redesign.
• People to go buy a much simpler, cheaper and more involving Mini instead.

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