The Gateway Bimmer that punches up: Driving the BMW F70 116 M Sport

The latest BMW 1-Series (offered locally as either the 116 or the full-blown M135 xDrive) might not fit everyone’s idea of an “entry-level” car — at least when it comes to the wallet. But that’s the reality in Singapore these days. With COEs at sky-high levels and taxes pushing up prices several times over. Your first taste of Bavarian engineering now starts at a tinge over S$220,000.

And while it may feel a little disheartening that this premium buys you “only” BMW’s smallest hatchback, we found out over a weekend with this compact Bimmer that it definitely punches well above its “Category-A COE’d” weight, defying both our initial perceptions and the usual “entry-level” stereotypes.

Visually, the new model bears a strong resemblance to its F40 predecessor, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just a heavy refresh of the earlier 1-Series. And in a way, that’s not far off, while it carries a new chassis code (F70), this is more of a significant evolution of the F40 rather than a ground-up redesign. What this evolution brings with it, though, is a sharper aesthetic, with slightly more rakish lines and angrier-looking adaptive LED headlights now projecting a far more athletic visage than before, easily concealing the fact that externally, it has grown ever so slightly in length (42mm) and height (25mm).

In M Sport trim, the only variant offered in Singapore, you get adaptive M suspension, chunkier, more aggressively styled bumpers, bigger alloys, Shadowline trim, and a bunch of M goodies inside the cabin.

These M-goodies consist of M illuminated aluminium interior trim pieces, anthracite headlining and a lovely looking, albeit once again overly thick, M Steering wheel nestled ahead of the 1’s redesigned dashboard that brings it visually in line with the latest BMWs. As with most BMW’s on offer today (sans the new X3), interior build quality is still solid with most touch-points trimmed in either BMW’s “Veganza” Vegan-leather, soft touch plastics or aluminium, there are some harsher scratchier plastics used in selected areas but I think can be largely forgiven given its positioning within the BMW stable.

While this is a welcomed visual change to uplift the interior’s ambiance, the minimalist design isn’t without its usability flaws, physical buttons are now all largely absent, having been relegated into the iDrive digital interface and overly fussy air vent control controls that, positioned away from the air-vents, still feel somewhat awkward to use with accuracy, requiring multiple adjustments to get right.

With the F70’s wheelbase identical to the F40’s, interior space feels largely unchanged. Headroom was never an issue before, and the slight increase in height likely adds a few extra millimetres overhead. Rear seating remains comfortable for two adults, though three might feel a bit cosy. Despite the car’s small bump in length, boot space stays the same, 380 litres with the rear seats up, expanding to 1,200 litres when folded, keeping it practical enough for most everyday use cases.

With the practical bits out of the way, it’s time for the main event: putting the car through its paces, well, as much as traffic laws would let us, anyway. The tl:dr version? This 116, despite its rather modest paper specs, can surprisingly shuffle!

With “only” 121 horses and 230nm of torques pumped out from its 1.5-litered, 3-Cylindered power-plant, manufacturer’s figures aren’t the most inspiring, requiring 9.8 seconds for the 116 to hit the 100km/h. In the real world though, with the smooth 7-speed gearbox shifts effortlessly through the gears, and the adaptive M Sport suspension keeps body control sharp, making progress feel far livelier than the figures suggest. It might not deliver the instant punch of an EV, but there’s most certainly a unique thrill and joy in feeling an internal combustion engine’s burbly tempo rise and fall, like the beating of an athlete’s heart.

So while “entry-level” might be the 116’s label, don’t let that fool you. It may be BMW’s smallest offering in size, but it’s brimming with style, practicality, and surprisingly lively performance. From its rakish looks and M Sport touches to the eager three-cylinder engine and composed handling, this compact hatchback proves that even BMW’s “starter” car can leave a lasting impression, driving with the confidence and spirit of a proper BMW even in “Category-A COE” form.