The all-new BMW 1 Series has arrived, and for the first time in Singapore, interested customers can place a booking for the car on e-commerce platform Lazada

Photos: Leow Ju-Len, BMW

SINGAPORE

The all-new third generation BMW 1 Series has arrived in Singapore, with the car being previewed by the media at the showroom of local BMW distributor Performance Motors Limited (PML) on 27 August 2019.

The new 1 is now available for viewing at Performance Motors, with the official customer launch to be held at BMW Fest SG, an event that will take place at the Grange Road open air carpark (opposite Cineleisure Orchard) from 13 to 15 September 2019.

The media preview also saw BMW and PML announce a pilot partnership with e-commerce platform Lazada, and the collaboration will allow customers to find out more about the car, and even place a deposit through the BMW LazMall store on the platform.

The tie-up with Lazada is the first-of-its-kind between an automotive brand and an online e-commerce platform here in Singapore, although Lazada has had similar tie-ups in several markets around the region, including Malaysia and The Philippines.

Mr James Chang, Chief Executive Officer of Lazada Singapore (above), said, “We feel that the new 1 Series is the right fit for us to launch this partnership, as it allows us to reach a younger and more tech-savvy customer base who are more receptive towards using an e-commerce platform like us during the car buying process.”

For BMW, the collaboration gives them another avenue for customers to experience the models, and brings the brand to customers in the convenience of their homes. “We hope to gain deeper insights into our customers’ interest in engaging with the BMW brand via this platform,” said Mr Christopher Wehner, Managing Director of BMW Group Asia.

Starting from Monday, 9 September 2019 at 8am, BMW and PML will offer the first 11 units of the new 118i M Sport available for customers to purchase on the platform with a special interest rate of 1.18%, after payment of a $500 refundable booking fee. Subsequent units will revert to a standard interest rate of 2.68%, but the booking fee will drop to $118.

The savings amount to slightly less than $100 a month (see table below), but the money saved is probably enough to cover the car’s road tax for the year.

After confirmation of the booking, customers will be invited to the PML showroom where they will be able to view and experience the car in person, and complete the purchase process. From October, customers can also book test drives of the new 1 Series through the Lazada platform as well.

BMW and Lazada say that the partnership is just a pilot programme for now, to gauge reaction from customers, and both parties will use the experience to further tweak and refine the process, with a view to expanding it to include other models, as well as related brand purchases such as accessories and even driving experiences, in the near future.

Lazada has also not ruled out partnering with other car brands further down the line, but for now, BMW will be the sole automotive brand to be hosted on the platform in Singapore.

As to the car itself, we’ve already detailed the new 1 Series in our exclusive first drives and preview on CarBuyer.com.sg previously. But the major news to note is the switch from rear to front-wheel-drive for this latest model. This frees up much-needed room for rear passengers, as well as increasing its boot capacity by 20 litres, to 380 litres.

READ MORE: Front still means fun, according to our exclusive first drive of the all-new 1 Series on CarBuyer.com.sg

For now, the sole model available is the 118i M Sport, which goes for $157,888 inclusive of Certificate of Entitlement (COE). A 118i Luxury is expected to join the lineup soon after, while the high performance M135i xDrive variant will reach Singapore in a couple of months time.

READ MORE: Want more fun? Then the M135i’s for you. We’ve driven that as well on CarBuyer.com.sg

A return of the previously strong-selling 116d is seen as unlikely for now, given the revised VES emissions standards which would make diesel cars uncompetitively priced despite being able to land a Cat A COE. However, a petrol 116i is a possibility, although yet unconfirmed, in the next year or so.

But 118i customers will also not be shortchanged, as local units will come equipped with innovative features such as BMW’s Digital Key (which allows locking and unlocking of the car through a smartphone app), and BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant speech recognition system as standard.

READ MORE: Here’s everything you need to know about the new BMW 1 Series, in a neat, easy-to-understand package

Fastest Fingers First

So just how much do you save as an early bird? Well, if you’re one of the first 11 people who manages to snag a 118i M Sport on Lazada at a special introductory interest rate of 1.18%, here’s what it would cost you: