Two of BMWs babies have received refreshes, one more extensive than the other.

SMALL number BMWs are the big news from the German brand this week, with Munich revealing a heavily refreshed version of the 1 Series and also signalling minor changes to the M2.

The latter is an early life tweak, coming a year after launch, whereas the the 1 Series it’s a refit occasioning to a model that launched in 2019. 

BMW cites that the facelift is so significant it warrants the car - pictured today in white - being called new. In their parlance, the line arriving in NZ is a fourth generation, with a fresh codename, F70. the preceding 1-Series was the F40.

Still, new is based on the old, so while a touch wider and taller than its predecessor, it retains an identical wheelbase and hard points.

The model is going to easily spotted, all the same, as there are numerous exterior updates, chief among them being a new nose that features a grille that's smaller than the original car's and now chrome-less, so more in line with the front end of the BMW 2 Series.

There are new LED headlights with subtle, arrow-shaped daytime running lights and indicators, while adaptive beam lights with blue accents are available as an option. 

The profile is much less altered; the new nose alone is the reason for the car being longer. 

At the back, the lights blend into the tailgate as before, but there's a distinct step between them, and all models bar the top-spec M135 feature hidden exhaust tips within a large gloss black diffuser. Another new addition is the option of a contrast black roof finish.

Pricing for the NZ range has yet to be shared, but BMW here has identified that it will launch in october with two petrol options - the 120 and that M135 xDrive - with diesel no longer desired.

The first has a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, paired with a 48 volt motor, delivering 125kW/240Nm. The M135 has a 233kW/400Nm 2.0-litre non-hybrid turbocharged four-cylinder; up 8kW, down 50Nm. It strikes 100kmh from a standstill in 4.9 seconds – one-tenth slower than before – and peaks at 250kmh.

Addition is a new M Sport Boost function to quickly set the drive and suspension settings into the highest sports settings, while the M135’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system is lighter than before.

The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in both now features fully electric actuation, a wider range of gears, and automatic shifting to park when the engine is turned off.

Under the skin, BMW has improved the rigidity of the body structure and chassis connection, installed an additional sleeve on the shock absorber for better stability over small bumps, and reduced body roll during dynamic cornering.

Both models feature a curved dual-screen comprising a 10.25-inch cluster and a 10.7-inch touchscreen running BMW OS 9. The 120 will land with an M Sport Package, adaptive M suspension and 18-inch M wheels.

The BMW M2? Presently a $144,100 choice, it’s getting an update at the same time as the rest of the 2 Series Coupe line-up. 

As it stands, the biggest revisions surround the infotainment system, now featuring BMW's Operating System 8.5, which delivers better voice control, a new layout and new climate controls.

However, the M division engineers have also been busy. They’ve unlocked another 15kW from the 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six, pushing it to 358kW. BMW has remapped throttle response, irrespective of the driving mode chosen.

The M2 uses a variation of the platform that underpins the M3 and M4, but while those (more powerful) cars can be had with four-wheel drive, the M2 remains rear-drive only. 

BMW quotes a 0-100kmh time of 4.0 seconds for the eight-speed auto, which is a 0.2s advantage over the six-speed manual. Another difference between the two models is that while the auto comes with 600Nm of torque, the manual has to 'make do' with 550Nm, presumably to protect the transmission.