Since hot hatchbacks are still a thing, BMW saw fit
to show off an M135i xDrive model at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, loaded
with the automaker’s lightweight M bits. The show car is equipped with a
glossy black kidney grille, a custom chin spoiler, canards on either side of
the bumper, side skirts, tinted windows and a set of matte black 18-inch
wheels. BMW also cheekily wrote down ‘The 1’ on the license plate holder.
Yet, what helps the car stand out most are its
forged carbon fiber elements – such as the mirror casings or that massive rear
diffuser; both of which add some charisma to what is otherwise nothing more
than a decent-looking hatchback.
While the interior is missing an Alcantara M
Performance steering wheel, it still features a dynamic dual-tone aesthetic,
bucket seats and a carbon fiber-like trim element stuck between the vents and
the infotainment display.
Then there’s the performance. Thanks to a 2.0-liter
turbocharged four-cylinder unit pumping out 302 HP and 450
Nm of torque, the BMW M135i xDrive is anything but slow. On paper, it can
accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, before maxing out at 250 km/h.
As a direct rival to the likes of the Audi S3 and
the Mercedes-AMG A35, the M135i xDrive is by no means a match for the very best
hot hatchbacks, such as the RS3 or the A45. However, as long as customers are
happy with its looks, we can’t imagine too many of them complaining about a car
that has a sub 5-second acceleration time.
The BMW M135i xDrive has a starting price of 48,900
euros (US$ 54,000) in Germany
