The passenger compartment of the BMW 1-Series remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated weak protection of the driver’s chest, based on dummy readings of compression.  Protection of the driver’s left leg was also weak, with marginal protection of the front occupants’ legs in general.  Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the BMW 1-Series would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision.  In the full-width rigid barrier test chest protection was rated as weak both for the driver and the rear passenger, in both cases a result of compression.  In both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, good protection was provided to all critical body areas and the BMW 1-Series scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.  Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be adequate  The BMW 1-Series has a countermeasure to mitigate against occupant-to-occupant injuries in such impacts.  The airbag performed well in Euro NCAP’s tests with dummy readings indicating good protection for both the driver and passenger.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.   The car has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash, and a  system to prevent secondary impacts after the car has been in a collision.  BMW demonstrated that the doors and windows would be openable to allow occupants to escape in the event of vehicle submergence.

In the frontal offset test, protection of all critical parts of the body was good or adequate for both the 6 and 10 year dummies.  In the side barrier impact, protection of all critical parts of the body was good for both the 6 and 10 year dummies.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  The BMW 1-Series is not equipped with 'child presence detection', a system which can alert others if children have been left in the car. All of the child restraint types for which the BMW 1-Series is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The BMW 1-Series has an 'active' bonnet.  Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet surface to provide more space to the hard structures underneath.  BMW showed that the system worked robustly over a range of speeds and for different statures.  Accordingly, the car was tested with the bonnet in the raised, deployed position.   Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was largely good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars and at the base and top of the screen.   Protection of the pelvis was good or adequate at all test locations. Protection of the femur was good at all test locations, while that of the knee and tibia was good or adequate at all test locations.  The autonomous emergency braking system of the BMW 1-Series responds to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to other vehicles.  In tests of its response to pedestrians, the system performed adequately but does not protect those to the rear of the car.  The system performed well in tests of its reaction to cyclists, including ‘dooring’ in which a door is opened into the path of a cyclist approaching from behind.  The system’s response to motorcyclists was good.

Overall, the performance of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system was good in tests of its reaction to other vehicles.  A seatbelt reminder system is fitted as standard to the front and rear seats.  The car has an indirect driver status monitoring system as standard, detecting driver fatigue but not distraction.  The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane and also intervenes in some more critical situations.  The speed assistance system identifies the local speed limit.  The driver can choose to allow the limiter to be set automatically by the system.