BMW 1-Series Coupé (07 on) - Review

Though it is based on the standard car platform, the Coupé bodywork has been stretched and is also wider – and in this case, a little means a lot for rear occupants. Even though high sills tend to impede entry and exit, space in the back is ample for children and most adults. The shape of the headlining gives fractionally extra headroom and indents in the front seat backrests create enough knee space for six-footers. Rear seating is strictly for two, which does contribute to better use of available space, but it’s not sufficient to provide long distance comfort for taller people.

You wouldn't expect a sports coupe to be practical, but being longer than the three and five-door versions of the 1-Series means boot capacity has grown from 330 litres to 370 litres. In addition, fitting a 60/40 split folding rear seat as standard makes the most of available load space. With a near-flat floor, the sporty model is more flexible than most and able to cope with longer items in place of one or both rear seat occupants – as long as they can fit under the fixed rear shelf.

It comes as no surprise to find an overtly sporting feel behind the wheel of the Coupé. Extending a line of agile, high-performance cars built by BMW over the last 40 years, this is a low-slung model that places driving pleasure at the top of its list of priorities. Reach and height adjustable steering guarantees the right seating position and all the controls such as the clutch and gear shift, work with real precision. As on the three and five-door versions, optional iDrive technology is available to operate navigation, climate control, audio and on-board computer systems. This also features eight programmable 'favourite' buttons for convenience. Despite the low driving position, forward visibility over the long bonnet is excellent and a relatively large rear window along with fold-down rear headrests allow good vision.