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BMW 1 Series F70 (since 2024)
Built in Leipzig since July 2024 and delivered since October 2024, the F70 now comes only with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. To identify your version, compare the kW on the registration document with those on this page: on the 120, 120d and 123 xDrive, BMW distinguishes the combustion engine output from the total output including the 48-volt electric motor. Figures come from BMW documents, the owner’s handbook and the ADAC catalogue; anything we could not verify is left out.
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What changed compared with the F40
Dimensions change little: 4,361 mm long (+42 mm), 1,459 mm tall (+25 mm), 1,800 mm wide on a 2,670 mm wheelbase. Every version gets the new seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch gearbox as standard, with fully electric actuation; the F40’s manual and eight-speed automatic are gone. Front-wheel drive remains the rule; xDrive is fitted to the 123 xDrive and the M135 xDrive. Petrol models drop the “i”: 116, 120, 123 xDrive and M135 xDrive. The 120, 120d and 123 xDrive gain 48-volt mild hybrid technology; its battery sits under the luggage floor, cutting the boot from 380 to 300 litres (1,135 litres with the seats folded instead of 1,200). For maintenance, the F70 handbook widens the top-up oils (BMW Longlife-19 FE added for petrol) and keeps only SAE 0W-20 and 0W-30 viscosities, diesels included.
Engine line-up and engine codes
Petrol, 1,499 cc three-cylinder (B38A15P according to ADAC): 116 with 90 kW (122 hp), no mild hybrid, from November 2024; 120 with 125 kW (170 hp) total output, of which 115 kW from the combustion engine, from October 2024. Petrol, 1,998 cc four-cylinder: 123 xDrive with 160 kW (218 hp) total output, 48-volt mild hybrid (B48A20P), from November 2024; M135 xDrive with 221 kW (300 hp), no mild hybrid (B48A20H), from October 2024. Diesel, 1,995 cc four-cylinder (B47C20B): 118d with 110 kW (150 hp), no mild hybrid, and 120d with 120 kW (163 hp) total output from the same 110 kW engine, both from October 2024. The ADAC catalogue lists a timing chain for all these versions. The German VI/24 handbook also mentions a petrol “BMW 118”, which does not appear in the European BMW documents or the ADAC catalogue we consulted: it is not covered here.
48-volt mild hybrid in practice
On the 120, 120d and 123 xDrive, an electric motor integrated into the gearbox acts as a starter generator: 15 kW (20 hp) and 55 Nm according to BMW’s spec sheets. It takes load off the combustion engine or adds power when pulling away and accelerating, and recharges the 48-volt battery through recuperation of up to 15 kW. There is nothing to plug in. The handbook says not to remove the luggage floor or fold its front part up, and not to work on the 48-volt battery. The 12-volt battery is charged with the engine off, through the jump-start points in the engine compartment, with the bonnet open. When coasting, these versions may use no fuel at all, according to the handbook.
Maintenance: what BMW documents
Oil change quantities (BMW specification sheets): 4.5 l for the 116 and 120, 5.25 l for the 123 xDrive and M135 xDrive, 6.5 l for the 118d and 120d. Top-up oils in the handbook: petrol — BMW Longlife-12 FE, Longlife-17 FE+ or Longlife-19 FE; diesel — Longlife-12 FE or Longlife-17 FE+; viscosity SAE 0W-20 or 0W-30, no additives. Coolant BMW LC-18 at 50:50; AdBlue to ISO 22241-1 for the diesels. Due dates are calculated by Condition Based Service, stored in the key and shown under Apps › Vehicle › Vehicle status › Service. BMW’s regular maintenance covers oil, brake fluid, a vehicle check, air filter and microfilter, plus spark plugs (petrol) or fuel filter (diesel). The handbook gives no mileage and no period: the reference is the dates your car displays. Running-in a new car: up to 2,000 km, no more than 4,500 rpm and 160 km/h on petrol, 3,500 rpm and 150 km/h on diesel, without full load or kick-down.
Dates and updates
Production started in Leipzig on 1 July 2024, with sales from October 2024 for the 120, 118d, 120d and M135 xDrive; the 116 and 123 xDrive followed from November 2024. Summer 2025: heated front seats and an alarm system as standard, plus a standard tyre repair kit. Spring 2026: two-zone automatic air conditioning as standard. None of these updates announces an engine change.