With the renewed hotting up of the hot hatch market, BMW has always been a bit of an outlier and a left-field picking, particularly when compared to the continually growing roster of hugely exciting sports hatchbacks that we have today. However, where higher-end options like the Golf R, Civic Type R, and GR Yaris might be able to instantly capture the hearts and minds of most petrolheads, we’d be remiss to forget BMW’s own spicy hot hatch offering, the new BMW M135i xDrive. Sure, it’s a bit of a posh choice, but with all-wheel drive, BMW’s trademark handling and driver-focused feel, as well as ample horsepower, might it be worth considering, instead?
What Is The BMW M135i xDrive About?
Iterating on the latest generation BMW 1-Series’ design language, the new M135i xDrive might not totally be your cup of tea, if you’re an old-school BMW fan. That said, to my eyes, it looks quite nice. More so with those sizeable quad tailpipes and this frosted grey paintwork, which looks like a matte finish. This contrasts rather beautifully against the gloss black accents on much of the exterior trim, those dark tinted windows, smoked taillights, and its huge rear spoiler. With the right background, the M135i xDrive has a superbly athletic, muscular, and sinister stance to it, especially if you look at it from the rear three-quarters.
On the flip side, I’m not 100% sold on these multi-spoke alloy wheels. But hey, at least those massive, bright red brake callipers poking through is always a welcomed sight to see. Elsewhere, the front end, as is a divisive topic among BMW enthusiasts, isn’t too shabby, either. With the M135i xDrive, now features a sharper, horizontal front grille, with a unique design that’s mostly been reserved for BMW’s sportier models. Alongside it, that large, protruding front lip gives it a really mean, angry bulldog-like look, topped off by the gorgeous lighting signature front and back. Tastes are personal, so you might disagree, but I very much like how this looks, as a whole.
How Does It Drive?
BMW might be well-known for their straight-6s, but that’s not to say they can’t make superb engines in other shapes and sizes, too. Pop open the bonnet, and you’ll find that this new BMW M135i xDrive is powered by a strong 2.0-litre turbo inline-4 petrol engine. It puts out a respectable 300hp and 400Nm of torque, so it should readily compete with most other top-of-the-line hot hatchbacks. Moreover, thanks to its slick-shifting 7-speed automatic gearbox, it’ll easily handle a 0 to 62mph sprint in a mere 4.9 seconds, before finally topping out at 155mph. And, let’s not forget to take into account that awesome BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system.
As soon as I started driving the new M135i xDrive, I knew right away that I was going to enjoy this, very much. BMW is well-known, justifiably so, for their sporty handling dynamics. As such, I wasn’t at all surprised to find that in full force here. Grip in and out of corners was exceptional in this new BMW M135i xDrive, even when you’re hammering the throttle. Some of that was undoubtedly thanks to how well set up the suspension and chassis were, not to mention those gargantuan brakes. Nevertheless, most of that traction is courtesy of the M135i xDrive’s all-wheel drive system, and how it ties together the rest of the car when you’re on the limit.
Given that this form of xDrive is front-biased, it does sometimes inherit handling feel and traits similar to FWD hot hatches such as the Civic Type R. In practice, you’re able to manage high cornering speeds, and yet, I’ve not noticed any compromises with traction at all. It doesn’t feel particularly rear-biased, but it is nice knowing that the rear wheels work in tandem with the front to put power down without breaking a sweat. No matter the road that I drove on, at ten-tenths, the M135i xDrive is so well-planted, that it feels like a focused cup-spec race car. Fun factor included, the new BMW M135i xDrive is one of the best driver’s cars for the money.
What Is It Like Inside?
Step inside, and it’s clear that BMW doesn’t want you to forget that you’re sitting inside an M car. There’s some really neat stitching on the dashboard, complete with BMW M’s historic colours, as well as the red centre stripe on the steering wheel. Aside from that, you’ll find an abundance of M badges and iconography everywhere. I do quite enjoy some of the more unique, techy design elements too, such as the glowing strip of LEDs on the centre console. There, you’ll find not one, but two curved screens, joined together to make up your infotainment system and the gauge cluster. Given that it’s a BMW, these are some of the best systems on the market today, bar none.
Between its ease of use and insane levels of customizability, few others are even close to matching BMW in this regard. Further down on the centre console, there’s an array of switches for your gear selector, marking a huge change from the more conventional shifters that BMW’s used for a while now. Still, at least the shifter paddles are pretty nice to flick through gears with.
Top that up with a quintessential BMW M steering wheel, with its thick rims, and a great seating position, BMW is already halfway there to making a fantastic driver’s car. Practicality-wise, the new BMW M135i xDrive makes for a superb daily driver, too. Further in the rear, there’s a sizeable boot with more than enough space for your weekly groceries or a vacation’s worth of luggage. Other than that, while the idea of sporty bucket seats might not sound comfy, in practice, these M sports seats, as simple as they appear, are plenty comfortable. I’d say this is one of the more noteworthy reasons for picking BMW over other hot hatches; a nicely cosy and posh interior.
The Experience
Perhaps it’s a testament to how well BMW has fine-tuned their xDrive systems too, but at times, I easily forgot and stopped noticing, for a few seconds, that it’s all-wheel drive. On paper, 300hp and 400Nm of torque are way more than plentiful, but crucially, the way it’s deployed is just as crucial. In this new BMW M135i xDrive, all that power delivery is exceptionally fun and addicting, with bucket loads of power and torque across the rev range. It has this huge wallop of turbo boost that comes on, just as the pops and bangs echo in from the exhaust. Best of all, this all-new BMW M135i xDrive is truly multifaceted, depending on what drive mode it’s on.
If you’re not looking for a surge of adrenaline, you could easily switch it to Eco mode for some quiet, relaxing, and economical motoring. Alternatively, you could switch it over to Sport mode to open up the exhaust, tighten up the suspension, sharpen up the steering, hasten the throttle response and gear shifts, and now be ready to rip up some tarmac. Yet, despite just how much power is at the behest of your right foot, the M135i xDrive also feels safe, and not too overpowering. Even if you’re pushing it hard (within reason), it’s a rewarding car to drive, without it biting you back and sending you into a ditch if you’re not careful. It has an excellent balance of power and grip, especially in the dry, with those grippy Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres. Suffice it to say, I’m a big fan of how it drives.
BMW M135i xDrive Cost
With a starting price of £43,000, the new BMW M135i xDrive isn’t cheap. However, once you take into account all the optional extras and packages, ours here has an eye-watering £53,665 price tag! On the one hand, at least BMW throws in a good number of goodies as standard, such as the M Adaptive suspension, heated front seats, a booming Harmon-Kardon surround sound system, some cosmetic exterior trim, and a few others. Those 18-inch alloy wheels come as standard, too… But not that eye-catching matte-frosted grey paint, which is a costly £2,100 option, or the swanky red-and-black leather interior, for another £215 on top of that. But wait, there’s more!
Speaking of, what are those options tacked onto our car here that cost so much, in the first place? Well, there’s the M Sport Package Pro option for around £2,000, which adds some notable performance upgrades, though most of them are cosmetic. Specifically, you’re getting a set of sportier brakes (with red callipers, no less), and M Sport-specific seat belts, sports seats, and darkened trim. Our car was then spec’d with the panoramic glass roof option (for a smidge over £1,000), an electric boot lid (£350), and electric front seats with memory function on the driver’s side (£730). Our car here also has the Driving Assistant Professional package for a mighty £1,700.
Additionally, we’ve found that the Technology Plus Pack (for £2,750) was included with our loaner press car here, to boot. The latter includes a tonne of creature comforts, such as adaptive LED headlights, an automated high-beam assistant, a parking assist feature, a heads-up display, and a wireless charging pad for your phone, as well as a handful more on top of that. So, to round it all up and to do some quick maths, that’s a whopping £11,000-ish worth of options! Naturally, you don’t have to go nuts with the options catalogue, but it goes to show that a lot of creature comforts here are locked behind pricey options. As such, be careful when you’re spec’ing one.
Verdict
For a smidge under £54,000, this all-new BMW M135i xDrive is asking a lot. But, as is the state of the economy these days, you’d be paying just as much or thereabouts for a brand-new Civic Type R or Golf R anyway, so it’s not completely unreasonable. Furthermore, since you’re getting a BMW, this also means that you’re cocooned in proper luxury, 1-Series or not, within a sea of leather and high-tech gadgetry. Overall, the M135i xDrive is a rock-solid option in the ever-growing hot hatch space, especially if you like having that BMW badge on the front. As cynical as you might want to be with modern-day BMW, this is one very enjoyable and fun car to drive.
Specification
BMW M135i xDrive Specs
- Price: £43,000
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbo inline-4
- Power: 300hp
- Torque: 400Nm
- Transmission: 7-speed automatic
- 0-62mph: 4.9 seconds
- Top speed: 155mph
- Weight: 1,625kg
- Economy combined: 34.0-37.2 mpg
- CO2: 188-173g/km