BMW’s hottest 1-series hatch has flown under the radar somewhat lately. In a segment that is far more niche these days, BMW’s hot hatch is now into its fourth generation courtesy of the recently released new 120 Hatch. Naturally, a full-fat performance hatch from BMW’s M division was to be expected and now it’s here. Not too long ago I was able to spend a week with the base 120 Hatch and found it to be a well rounded bit of kit. So, how does the flagship M135 stack up?
Well for starters, there has been a change of name. BMW has dropped the “i” part of the model designation just as it has with the 120 Hatch. This is in keeping with BMW eager for buyers to only associate “i” with their EV range.
On the subject of looks compared to the 120 Hatch, you have the same long bonnet, restyled BMW kidney grill which now has the look of one unit rather than two separate ones, new LED headlights and a longer stance of 4,361mm coupled with its 2,670mm wheelbase. Where things differ for the M135 include the standard 19-inch M-Sport alloy wheels, quad exhaust pipes, high-gloss black roof paint, M bars within that kidney grill and M exterior mirror caps. These additives look good contrasting well with the Alpine White and red M-Sport brake callipers.
Power comes from BMW’s M TwinPower Turbo 2.0L four cylinder engine producing 221kW and 400Nm of torque. The dual-clutch automatic transmission is now a seven-speed over the previous generation eight-speed and BMW claim a top speed of 270kph and a zero to 100kph time of 4.9 seconds. Drive is to all four wheels via BMW’s slick xDrive AWD system. Oh, and if you are curious to know, BMW claim a combined 8.1L/100km of combined fuel consumption.
When compared to the base spec 120 Hatch, the interior of the M135i in many ways is a case of design déjà vu, be it with a few subtle changes. Take the M Sport Pro Package for instance. Along with the barrage of M badges, coupled with the aforementioned exterior performance tweaks, you have some sublime leather sports seats with red inserts and embossed illuminated M sport emblems. These are a delight to sit in, striking a good middle ground between daily comfort and track-day support.
The rest of the interior is still a very nice place to be, though I am still not a fan of the new interior air vents BMW seem dead keen on adding to their new range. I just find them quite awkward to use and not as effective as a conventional vent. Air-con issues aside, the rest of the onboard gadgetry you have on hand is first rate.
Standard equipment includes a head up display, adaptive LED headlights, massage function for those aforementioned front seats, BMW’s latest Live Cockpit Professional with 12.3” digital instrument display, wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, heated steering wheel, BMW ConnectedDrive, panoramic glass roof, 360-degree rear view camera, Harman/Kardon sound system and BMW Driving Assistance Professional . The latter contains additional safety features like active cruise control, steering and lane control assist, rear and front cross traffic warning, lane keep assist and crossroads warning.
Things are more capacious in the rear than you might think, with passengers having ample head and legroom, along with “fairly decent for a hatch” ease of access. Boot space can also swallow up 380L of whatever you care to mention, within reason of course.
Getting going and do need to watch the nose, not so much when negotiating speed humps, but if your driveway is has a slightly angled entry point. That aside, the M135, as you might imagine, is a delight as a daily driver. A true hot hatch needs to work as a daily and aside from some degree of tyre roar, the M135 is entirely bearable for daily activities. However, it’s even better when you the moment strikes you and you fancy a “drive.”
Get it above 4000rpm and the M135 has some decent tow. Ten seconds of boost can be activated by holding down the right paddle for a brief moment and you have some extra oomph, ideal for those urgent overtaking moments. Each up shift in Sport mode is accompanied by a fart from those quad exhaust tips and before long you find you have covered plenty of ground in a relatively small amount of time. The new M135 doesn’t have the most flamboyant engine note out there but it still is enough to remind you of its sporting pretensions.
A stronger chassis, higher preloaded anti-roll bar mounts and revised shocks, coupled with that clever xDrive AWD system and adaptive M suspension means you can carry that momentum through corners with almost carefree abandon. It feels just right when you push hard in the twisty stuff and plenty of grip is available to keep you on the straight and narrow. It’s fun, plain and simple.
The biggest niggle I see with the new M135 is the price. At $97,900 before you add options, it is close to $15,000 more than its closest rival, the current Volkswagen Golf R which has more power. Add things like the M-Sport Pro Package ($2,700), Metallic Paint or other BMW individual colour (usually between $2000 to $5000), and you are breaking six figures easily. This brings the total cost closer to the likes of the Audi RS3 and outgoing Mercedes-Benz A45S AMG, both of which are in the super hot hatch realm when it comes to performance.
If this doesn’t faze you, you could be tempted by the new M135 for many other reasons, like the fact that it provides the kind of engaging and exciting drive which you would come expect from a proper M car, whether on a daily run or weekend blast.
In summary, there still plenty of charm from this fourth edition of BMW’s hot hatch.
RATING: 8/10
