2015 BMW 1 Series : First look at fresh-faced hatch

The facelifted 1 Series will debut in the European autumn, likely making its public debut at October’s Paris motor show, before reaching right-hand-drive markets such as the UK in the first quarter of 2015. BMW Australia expects the updated range to arrive in local showrooms inside the first half of next year.

The updated 1 Series appears to take design inspiration from the sportier 2 Series coupe and convertible models at the front, with new headlights that are smaller and less droopy than the current model’s.

Its kidney grille also gets a slight update. The spied car, a three-door M135i hot-hatch, has nine vertical slats in each kidney, rather than the eight of the current version.

The 2015 BMW M135i also features a new front bumper with a smaller but wider central air intake and larger front-side intakes with circular fog lights at their outer edges.

Camouflage across the back of the test car confirms the rear bumper will also get a fresh look. Though it’s hard to make out too many details, the panel’s contours appear less pronounced that those of the current car, suggesting slightly softer styling for the updated model.

Though no changes are visible in these images, the tail-light graphics may also be revised on the production version.

Power and fuel economy improvements are expected across the 1 Series’ range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, though the M135i’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder is likely to remain pegged at 235kW to leave a small gap between it and the 240kW M235i.

Subtle tweaks are also expected for the cabin, while the specification of the 1 Series range should come more into line with that of the 2 Series.