I should have said - I'm currently the happy owner of a 2016 MINI Cooper (auto - my first), with no real justification for changing it, but that doesn't stop me thinking about it :)

I do fancy a new one - mine has got climate but very little else, I even have to take my hands off the wheel to change the radio volume. But even the base spec new model has loads of kit, plus the advantage of a decent amount of rubber in the tyres to soften the ride.

However I do like the idea of a 1 series, and if it had the new engine then there wouldn't be a drop in performance compared to my current MINI - it would cancel out the additional weight (I think, obviously no actual figures to back that up).

The BMW 1 Series range isn't exactly short of engine/power options,

Well... after the 118i with 136ps it's a bit of a leap up to the 128ti with 265ps. There's no 2 litre 120i like there was with the previous version of the 1 series. Seems a bit odd.

Maybe BMW think owners will either be retired types wanting a car that's 'nippy' with the BMW 'prestige' and handling (rather like a Lexus) or the 'boy [or girl) racers' at any age who want a very hot hatch and can afford the high cost of purchase and ownership.

Fewer and fewer makes are now doing 'warm' hatches, partly because they are no longer affordable (including running costs, e.g. insurance) to the same lot who used to buy cars like the mid 2000s Civic Type R, earlier gen Focus STs, etc. Many makes are also rationalising their lineups to reduce costs.

I suspect that apart from the German makes, the hot hatch era will be soon over, whether EVs take over fully in the next 5 years or so or not.

MG4 X-Power? Hyundai N range? Toyota Yaris GR? Volvo Ex30 Performance? Plenty of hot hatches out there and more coming soon like GTi versions of VW I cars, Cupras etc.

Looks quite healthy to me.

Those are hardly 'affordable' as I previously stated, plus they are either EVs (not renowned for their ability to rev and make noise) or hard-as-nails suspension (so they can handle well) cars, not ones that can easily double up as a 'daily drive' over speed humps and our 'lovely' pothole ridden roads without having to do so at walking pace (ironic).

Many hot hatches of 'old' (even 10-15 years ago) still had a decent enough ride and where you didn't need to take out another car loan to afford your next set of tyres.

Many ICE hot hatches will soon be out because environmental laws will make them way too expensive to buy or run, if they are even allowed into many bigger towns and cities when the inevitable ramping up of ULEZs comes. Councils have already done it with diesels with making car parking for residents vastly more expensive (often affecting the least able to pay). Of course, if you are rich, then, well...

Frankly, most "cooking" models are faster than "warm" hatches from 15 years ago so if you want a well performing family car the choice is huge. There may well be less hatches but that is probably because manufacturers are making less hatches. The Fiesta is no more and soon the Focus will be the same way.

Sure the list prices are more but what isn't in life? It is called inflation.

I mentioned the MG4 X-Power. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but you can get a nearly new one for £25k. In 2014 that would be the equivalent of £18500. If you can point me towards a hot hatch with 429bhp and 0-60 in 3.8 seconds which can also do the tip run you could have bought at a year old and 3000 miles in 2014 for £18500 then well done.

There are plenty of other examples and, yes, more of them will be EVs but doesn't mean they are not hot hatches.