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New version of Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class rival majors on refinement and under-the-skin improvements The focus of development for this fourth-generation BMW 1 Series was found in the data.According to anonymised data collected from consenting customers, 1 Series drivers are more given to ‘spirited’ driving than the owners of any other model in the firm’s line-up. Which is why plenty of effort for the has gone into rewarding driving enthusiasts.So while this new 1 Series doesn't look like a dramatic departure from its predecessor, lots of detail work has taken place under the skin. It might look like an update, and it’s certainly a smaller jump than the third-generation car made in switching from rear- to front-wheel-drive, but there’s been enough work for BMW to label this as an entirely new model generation.Even if they might not be as trendy as SUVs, the market for family hatchbacks remains fierce, and the new 1 Series has to take on everything from old premium rivals such as the Audi A3 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz A-Class to more mainstream fare such as the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3 and Peugeot 308. And that's to say nothing about the increasing number of electric rivals, given that the entry level is one of the few areas in which BMW is yet to offer an EV.