BMW M140i review - 1-series hot hatch offers more polish than precision - Interior and tech

As with all BMW’s, the M140i’s interior has solid foundations of excellent build quality and ergonomics. The current generation, first released in 2011, didn’t boast the most flamboyant design and aside from infotainment and trim updates, is largely unchanged from its initial introduction.

Being an M Performance model, standard equipment is strong, with sport seats and a sport steering wheel lifting the interior ambiance above standard versions. Space in the front is good, but compared to more efficiently packaged rivals, room in the back seat and boot are a little tight for a hatch in this class.

Interior tech is typically BMW; the ubiquitous i-drive system is well designed and easy to navigate. Upgrade to the larger 'professional' i-drive system and BMW’s latest suite of online services complements one of the best user interfaces in the business. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are available as options, although the BMW system is so good you wont really need them.

Thanks to the 1-series’ relative age, the latest in active safety kit is an obvious omission, with features like line departure warning and emergency autonomous braking part of a Driving Assistant option for £390. Adaptive cruise control, and automatic parking also are not available, even on the options list.