There were a lot of strange things going on in the summer of 2020, and on planet PH the weirdest of all was having a brand-new, 306hp BMW long termer around… that nobody was very interested in. The most interesting thing that could be said about the original M135i xDrive was being able to say that you were driving a red F40 around, thanks to BMW’s internal model designation for the first era of UKL2 1 Series. It was actually fine, with a smart interior and easy access interior, though once that badge gets on the back of a BMW - M Performance or otherwise - expectations are raised. And the M135i failed to meet them. Even when it was updated, in fact.
But now there’s an M135 in the world (no longer with an i, because that creates confusion with the electric cars, but called F70) and it seems a lot more likely to be remembered - for good and bad reasons. It seems to be BMW tradition now that a 1 Series is launched that isn’t received brilliantly, only to be facelifted a few years down the line and made, to be frank, less appealing. It happened with the rear-drive F20 and it’s happened here again: the front of the car could be anything, despite the reprofiled kidney grilles, and the rear is just too busy - not helped by four exhausts. The old M135i xDrive never looked quite so smart as from the driver’s seat of this new one during a day in the Cotswolds. (UK pics haven’t yet been shot, so you’ll have to make do with these. But we’ve had a go, honest - the reg was YH74XGJ, and the B4035 is great.)
At least from the (slightly too high) driver’s seat you get to also take in a fantastic new interior. It’s a common criticism of more expensive BMWs that the driving environments aren’t different enough to cheaper models, but that’s great news for 1 Series drivers - because it feels million bucks. The interfaces are crisp, the displays beautiful, the integration of everything that’s mandatory for a new, expensive hot hatch very smart indeed. Having very recently tried the Mk8.5 Golf R, the Volkswagen simply isn’t in the same league for interior ambience. The BMW’s materials, colours and touchpoints - including the knurled volume dial, the drive mode themes and steering wheel buttons - are very good indeed. Some of the lower plastics aren’t quite so great, and it almost feels like a chunk of the dash has been deleted below the vents, yet it remains an impressive cabin. If your 1 Series can be parked side on then all will be well with the world.
It’s interesting for a refresh that keeps the same engine to introduce a new transmission. Gone is the old eight-speed auto, replaced with a seven-speed DCT, and it’s definitely an improvement. For all the reasons that dual-clutches often improve on torque converters: shifts are faster, yes, but it’s also that immediacy higher up in the revs that marks it out. Which is where you’ll be in this car, as the ratios are short enough for second to be done by 50mph and third all out by 70mph. So having a gearbox that’s always responsive to the paddles is super beneficial as the limiter never feels far away. And there’s fun to be had zapping up and down the ratios, especially from a launch control start. Knowing that the gearbox is never going to get into a muddle encourages you to push on a bit harder, too. With a slightly over eager Sport mode for the transmission, it tends to be best in manual, or kept in Personal (what would have been Comfort) and then left to its own devices. Whichever way around, the dual-clutch is a useful improvement on the auto. Even the upshift farts are a tad more convincing.
The engine itself, if also with its own slightly more authentic drawl, remains fairly ordinary. Potent enough, but unremarkable. Given the gains discovered with the related 3.0-litre B58 six-cylinder (this is a modular family of engines with 500cc cylinders; this is the 2.0-litre B48, and there’s a 1.5-litre B38 triple in Minis), it’s a shame that more than 300hp couldn’t be found somewhere. Especially with xDrive to harness it. Or maybe we should simply be glad of an engine at all.
The chassis of the M135 feels better sorted than the M135i. The press material goes into a fair bit of detail about new dampers and increased rigidity and, to BMW’s credit, this is a more engaging hot hatch than the one that preceded it. There’s a bit more bite to turn in, better body control over testing tarmac, an increased willingness to, y’know, drive like a 300hp xDrive BMW. There’s not going to be much quicker down a bumpy B road; the 1 Series is still useful compact by modern standards, and, predictably, both traction and grip are first-rate. It would make a great police car: unflappable and mightily capable in all conditions.
If that sounds a little like the previous generation Golf R then there's a good reason for that - but the similarity is both a blessing and a curse. Yes, the M135 is assured and able to reach a level most are ever going to need, yet it never really excites either. Without anything clever happening for the xDrive at either, there’s neither a particularly tenacious front end nor a flamboyant rear which tends to mark out the best all-wheel drive offerings currently available. The brake pedal is a bit long, too. And while the passive damping effort is very good at middling commitment levels, it doesn’t quite boast that mastery of control of the very best (see twin test). Which you sort of want for 1,600kg. So this is a better fast 1 Series, for sure, though not a radically transformed one.
Some salvation may be at hand, however, with the M Dynamic Package, which brings lighter wheels, additional bracing, stickier tyres, damper tweaks, M3 brake pads and more. Sadly there wasn’t one to drive at the event, so perhaps one to try at a later date. It’s nice to see BMW trying, at least.
Ultimately, without the additional advantage those tweaks may or may not bring, not enough has changed about the M135 to catapult it to the top of the hot hatch rankings. A lovely new interior, a dual-clutch transmission and a slightly more energetic chassis are welcome - but not transformative. It probably nudges the BMW ahead of the Mercedes-AMG A35, but with both Golf R and Audi S3 benefitting from some meaningful chassis changes for their latest refresh, they’d get the nod from us for fast, fun and four-wheel drive at this price point. Bring on that M Dynamic Package.
SPECIFICATION | 2025 BMW M135
Engine: 1,998cc, four-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 300@5,750-6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@2,000-4,000rpm
0-62mph: 4.9 seconds
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 1,550kg (DIN)
MPG: 36.7 (WLTP)
CO2: 175g/km (WLTP)
Price: £41,825 (price as standard; price as tested £53,665, comprising Heated steering wheel for £175, Electric bootlid for £390, M Sport package pro (M Sport Brakes with red calipers, BMW Individual Lights Shadow Line, M Sport seat belts, Front M sport seats) for £2,075, Panoramic glass roof for £1,050, Electric front seats and drive memory for £730, Split fold rear seats for £175 (!), Automatic air con for £480, Technology Plus Pack (Comfort Access, Folding wing mirrors with auto dimming, rear view mirror with auto dimming, adaptive LED lights, High beam assist, Parking assistant Plus, Head-up display, Storage for wireless charging, Live Cockpit Professional) for £2,750)
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