BMW 118i – safety systems you’ll love

BMW 118i cars available from PANEK Rent a Car are equipped with a number of safety solutions, which are particularly useful in autumn and winter, when the driver may be surprised by changing weather conditions. Today we will present you a few of them, the most interesting in our opinion, which will make your trip not only safe but also enjoyable. 

ARB technology  

Let’s start with a reminder that the BMW 1 Series is the brand’s first compact front-wheel drive model. Die-hard fans of the Munich brand are probably shaking their heads with undisguised disgust right now, but the engineers knew what they were doing. The big question is, can a front-wheel drive car drive as precisely as a classic-drive car, i.e. to the rear axle, and be as enjoyable to drive as it does? It turns out that this is not only possible, but also a lot of fun, because the BMW 118i front-wheel drive behaves so obediently in the corners that driving on narrow roads causes the mouth corners of the driver and passengers to involuntarily raise. 

It turns out that the technology used in the latest BMW 1 Series, although it makes its debut in the compact class of the German manufacturer, has been developed in other models for 7 years! The ARB technology, because that’s what it is about, was used for the first time in the electric i3s model. It is supported by the standard BMW Performance Control system using gyro sensors, which increases the agility of the 1 Series thanks to the precise brake intervention of the wheels on the inside of the bend.

In ARB technology, information from sensors goes directly to the engine controller, thanks to which the reaction to a change in the road situation occurs 3 times faster than if the information was read in the traction control system or ABS controller. The whole provides neutral handling characteristics and precision unheard of in this class, reducing the understeer to zero, which is so characteristic of front-wheel drive cars.

M sports suspension 

The cars available at PANEK Rent a Car are additionally equipped with the M sports suspension with the suspension lowered by 10 mm compared to the standard car, as well as the adaptive VDC (Variable Damper Control) system, which is responsible for changing the damping characteristics of the shock absorbers depending on the quality surface, and the rider can choose between two damping characteristics – Comfort and Sport. Another factor influencing the quality of driving is the use of a multi-link solution in the rear suspension. As a consequence of the technology used, the driver feels in full control of the car, which is extremely important, especially when driving on wet or leafy surfaces.

Steptronic gearbox and assistance systems 

The BMW 118i is equipped with the new, ultra-modern 7-speed Steptronic dual clutch transmission, which intelligently adapts gear changes to the current route and the driving situation. These are not the only new products in the BMW 118i offered by PANEK Rent a Car. Many of the innovative driver assistance systems in the BMW 1 Series come from the higher series of the Bavarian carmaker. Depending on the system, the camera image and data from radar and ultrasonic sensors are used to monitor the vehicle’s surroundings. Their task is to warn the driver about hazards and minimize the risk of accidents through adequate braking and corrections of the direction of travel. The standard equipment of the BMW 1 Series in Europe includes a collision warning with the vehicle ahead and pedestrians with city braking function, which also warns against cyclists. The Adaptive Cruise Control system operates between 70 and 210 km / h and is assisted by Lane Keeping Assist, which warns you of lane departures and actively corrects your lane if necessary. The car can also be equipped with an active cruise control that works up to 160 km / h (in models with automatic transmission), an interesting function is also Stop & Go, which allows you to stop the vehicle without the driver’s interference (e.g. in a traffic jam) and start driving when the preceding car will start driving again. The BMW 118i is also equipped with the Lane Departure Assistant, a rear collision warning and cross traffic alerts, which is especially useful when driving backwards out of a parking space.