ANALYSE any successful sporting team and you will find a formula that combines flair players with those who do the hard yards to ensure premium performance.

With the 116d EfficientDynamics model, BMW has put together the mechanical equivalent.

There's the excitement of an exhilarating driving experience combined with a miser's attitude to fuel usage which results in planet-friendly economy figures and tax-busting carbon dioxide emissions.

The rear-wheel drive 116d hatchback handles like a dream and gets to 62mph from a standing start in a shade over 10 seconds. Something that drives so well normally doesn't return an average fuel economy figure in excess of 70mpg and emissions under the magical 100g/km barrier - but this 1 Series model does just that.

Thanks to the low emissions of just 99g/km the EfficientDynamics model qualifies for the lowest benefit-in-kind tax rating of 13 per cent making it attractive to company car drivers and private motorists alike as it also qualifies for zero road tax.

BMW entered one five-door 116d EfficientDynamics hatchback model into this year's RAC Future Car Challenge - which showcases low energy use vehicles - and it achieved an amazing 103mpg over the 64-mile Brighton to London route, winning the Best Internal Combustion Engine class in the process.

The route from Brighton to London included many uphill sections and lots of traffic, but event organisers measuring the fuel used over the challenging route recorded a 39 per cent improvement over the official 74.3mpg combined economy figure.

Back to the flair side of the equation and we encounter an exterior that is both elegant and dynamic. The front is dominated by the large BMW kidney-shaped grille, boldly shaped headlamps and three-section air intake.

The roofline is gently sloping with the angled rear window and flat side windows giving the car the look of a coupe while wide-set wheelarches reinforce the sporty impression.

The rear doors open wide giving good access to a cabin that sports good quality materials and comfortable figure-hugging seats. The iDrive infotainment system is a major bonus as it is easy to use and simplifies the layout of the dashboard which features a 6.5-inch colour flatscreen monitor.

Storage space has been given careful consideration with BMW providing the 1 Series with large front door pockets, two cup holders on the centre console and a roomy glove compartment.

There's plenty of head and legroom for adults both front and back and the boot is adequate if, like many chat show hosts I could think of, a little shallow. The rear seats fold down though leaving a large loadbay when required. Safety is taken care of by six airbags and stability control fitted as standard.

There are plenty of goodies included on the 116d including cruise control, dual-zone air conditioning, electric windows, automatic headlights, rain-activated wipers, cruise control, a socket to plug your iPod player into, Bluetooth connectivity, plus stylish alloys.

The previous generation of the 1 Series achieved global sales of more than 2.2 million cars. Judging by my time with the 116d EfficientDynamics model the latest incarnation of the 1 Series stands a good chance of achieving similar success.