BMW CS 1
It's the most eagerly anticipated BMW for years. The new baby Beemer is
charged with giving the brand a more youthful and sporty image, and the
company's bosses promise it will be within easy reach of buyers currently
looking at a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf.
It's the most
eagerly anticipated BMW for years. The new baby Beemer is charged with
giving the brand a more youthful and sporty image, and the company's
bosses promise it will be within easy reach of buyers currently looking at
a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf.
Is the car as
exciting as it sounds? We decided to take a closer look. This is the first
time the stunning CS1 has been driven on the road, and Auto Express went
along for the ride. The drop-top debuted at this year's Geneva Motor Show
and will become the forthcoming 1-Series, which will compete in the
biggest sector of the market. It will be unveiled at next year's Frankfurt
Motor Show as a three or five-door hatch, and in 2006 as a convertible and
estate.
It certainly
looks the part. With cues taken from other BMW models, such as the
7-Series and X-Coupί¿½ concept car, the CS1 caused a real stir when it was
unveiled to the public. But away from the harsh lighting and stark
backdrop of a motor show stand, it looks even more impressive, with
traditional BMW design features such as short overhangs, a kicked-up rear
and flared arches denoting its family lineage. It's also much smaller than
it appears in pictures, too, with a compact shell that proves BMW aims to
achieve domination in this sector as it did with the 3 and 5-Series in the
classes above.
And if our
first on-the-road impressions are anything to go by, it seems as though
the CS will be '1' to watch when it comes to driving. It is secure and
well planted on the tarmac, with a hunched stance and very little body
roll. The 18-inch alloy wheels and fat tyres transfer the 1.8-litre
Valvetronic engine's 115bhp to the road without drama, while the car
retains a traditional BMW layout, with a longitudinally mounted motor and
rear-wheel drive, together with a derivation of the firm's acclaimed rear
Z-axle. The powerplant is the same as the 1,796cc unit used in the current
318i, meaning adequate rather than exhilarating performance, although the
CS1 is still guaranteed to be an excellent driver's car.
Beneath the
bonnet, the engine is protected by heatproof fabric covers to prevent dirt
getting in ancillary components such as the coolant header tank, brake
fluid reservoir and windscreen washer bottle. Access to their fillers is
through special zips in the fabric.
The CS1's
paddle-shift gearbox is based on the SMG unit introduced in the M3, and is
operated by a pair of beautifully finished brushed aluminium flippers
attached to the steering column. BMW claims that these perform changes
twice as fast as shifting manually, although a conventional five-speed box
and CVT automatic will be available on the 1-Series when it goes into
production. But it's in the cabin where the CS1 displays its boldest
characteristics. The interior is like that of no BMW before, and although
the design is likely to be modified for production models, the pod-mounted
instruments and minimalist aluminium-finish dashboard seem likely to
remain.
The hard,
narrow seats feel more comfortable than they look, with good thigh,
lateral and lumbar support, while the pop-out headrests can be slid
forward rather than tilted, and angled to suit individual requirements.
A simpler
version of the 7-Series' i-Drive system appears in the CS1, and is set to
feature in even the most basic 1-Series models. On the prototype, a
concealed screen folds from the dash, and drop-down menus can be operated
from a circular controller on the transmission tunnel housing. But unlike
the confusing system in the 7-Series, the CS1's is easy to use, with
additional buttons to adjust the radio and air-conditioning.
For a driver
used to the likes of a Focus or Vauxhall Astra, the 1-Series' style and
dynamics will be difficult to resist. If the CS1's features are carried
over to the production model, it will bring BMW's image and engineering
expertise to a whole new audience.
by: Craig Cheetham
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