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BMW has announced a raft of revisions to the 1 Series Coupé and Convertible, which will go on sale in March 2011, to take on the facelifted Volkswagen Eos and the Audi A3.

The most obvious changes are to the front and rear lights, which are both redesigned. If the car is ordered with xenon lights, LED daytime running lights are incorporated into the top edge of the lighting unit.

The front bumper has also been reprofiled with what BMW is calling an Aero Curtain. This improves the aerodynamics around the car's nose, and especially the wheelarches. The result is a cut in CO2 emissions, with the 118d Convertible now rated at 118g/km instead of the previous 129g/km.

The 1 Series continues to be offered with a variety of other fuel saving measures, such as stop/start on cars with a manual gearbox, and brake energy regeneration. Also fitted is a smart alternator, electric power steering and particulate filters on the diesels.

The facelifted 1 Series will be unveiled in the metal at the Detroit motor show, in January 2011. The cheapest Coupé will be the 118d ES, priced at £21,960, while the entry-level Convertible will be the £24,245 118i ES.

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