Generations and Key Features
The BMW Series 1 has gone through three generations: E81/E87 (2004–2011), F20/F21 (2011–2019) and F40 from 2019. The first two generations have rear-wheel drive, which is rare in this segment and gives the car a sporty character. The current F40 generation switched to front-wheel drive and uses the UKL platform shared with the Mini Cooper. The most common engines on offer are the diesel 116d, 118d and 120d, and the petrol 118i and 120i versions.