I have to admit, I have never actually been on a driving road trip up North before in my (admittedly short) life.

So when BMW offered us the chance to drive its new baby, the 1-Series, up to Kuala Lumpur, I was understandably a bit excited.

I mean, city driving in Singapore is one thing. But long distance driving on the highways are a different kettle of fish altogether.

The day began at BMW's showroom at Alexandra Road. Us journalists, not quite used to early mornings, dragged ourselves to Performance Motors, where we were given a briefing and breakfast to prep us for the trip.

After the run-through, we were finally introduced to the fleet of eight 1-Series cars, neatly split into four each of the 116i Urban Line (in blue) and 118i Sport Line (Red)

 

And then we were off...

We aimed towards the Tuas Second Link, and before long, we had cleared Immigration, and were now on Malaysian soil.

The convoy made its way through Skudai and Pedas/Linggi, with the first part of the trip consisting of mostly highway driving. This enabled us to experience the true efficiency of the new 1-Series, in its Eco Pro mode, designed to maximise BMW's EfficientDynamics philosophy.

After about three hours of driving, the group stopped over at Port Dickson for lunch, to fuel up the hungry human tanks. The cars though were barely at half tank, with more than enough to complete the second part of the trip.

After lunch, the convoy continued on its way, but this time, the 'Dynamic' part of BMW's EfficientDynamics were put to the test.

The route from Port Dickson to Kuala Lumpur was driven through those notorious single lane Malaysian back roads, and in those challenging narrow winding corners, the 1-Series acquited itself well, tackling nearly everything that was thrown its way (including the usual tropical torrential shower, and a rather rude dump truck).

 

 

We arrived at our hotel in KL in the evening, ready for a nice rest and dinner, and to give both us and the cars the chance to recharge and top up before the journey back.

The drive back was similar, with the route in reverse, and just like that, my first long distance driving trip in Malaysia was done.

I must say, it was quite an experience. Driving for such a long time over mostly monotonous roads requires quite a lot of concentration.

But at the same time, it allows you to really stretch your machines, something which you can't really do in tiny Singapore.

Would I do it again? Most definitely. But one thing I learnt is that preparation is vital. It's almost like running a marathon. You can't just decide to go do it. You have to plan and prepare for it.

As for the 1-Series, I came away impressed. Driving wise, it coped well with the conditions, and in the corners, it actually felt a bit fun.

I guess that's the BMW Experience for you.

Special thanks to BMW Asia for the trip and pictures.