New BMW M135 review

Sometimes it’s hard to resist taking a nostalgic look back at how things were – and the BMW M135 is a good example. Now more than ever it seems almost surreal that its predecessor had rear-wheel drive and a six-cylinder engine.

Today – like the BMW 1 Series it's based on – the M135 hot hatch is very different. Gone is the sports-car-like set-up and in its place is one consisting of a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and four-wheel drive.

As part of a recent update, the M135 has been altered further, most notably with mechanical tweaks – some good, some not so much. We’re thrilled to hear BMW has worked on sharpening the handling, but power is down by 6bhp and weight is up by 100kg. That’s right, the M135 is actually slower than it was before.

Is the BMW M135 too far off the pace now? And how does it fare against rival hot hatches including the Audi S3 and Ford Focus ST? We have the answer...

The new BMW M135 has a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and 296bhp. The official 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds puts it slightly behind the Audi S3 and Mercedes AMG A35 (both 4.7 seconds), and the Volkswagen Golf R (4.5 seconds).

On the other hand, the M135’s performance is some way behind the hot hatch big-hitters, such as the Audi RS3 and Mercedes AMG A45 S. Then again, they demand a hefty price premium for a reason.

The M135’s engine is best described as effective but not especially exciting. You see, it feels strong in the low to mid rev range but runs out of chuff at around 6000rpm. There’s also plenty of fake noise being pumped in through the speakers. The S3 sounds more invigorating (especially if you opt for the optional Akrapovic exhaust).

The seven-speed automatic gearbox (there's no manual gearbox option) is a similar story. It’s responsive in Sport Plus mode but quite sluggish if you’re in any other mode.

The quick, precise but slightly numb steering and sharp front end are more deserving of praise, as is the handling overall.

In fact, the M135 proves a compelling halfway house between the composed, capable Audi S3 and the nimble, playful Ford Focus ST. In other words, it’s very fast around corners but there’s scope to play with the handling balance if you lift off the accelerator while cornering.

Sure, you can get the S3 to wag its tail a little bit too, but that comes more easily from applying power. The M135 is less rearward biased and it feels it, with the four-wheel drive mostly there to provide extra stability on fast, sweeping bends.

We should mention that we’ve yet to sample the M135 with the optional M Dynamic Pack, which adds lighter wheels and more track-focused suspension tuning. We suspect it’ll be the sharpest M135 to drive but we’d be surprised if it’s worth the extra £3000.

It’s worth noting that the M135 feels more tense in its ride than the S3 – even if you’re just in Normal mode, where the standard-fit adjustable suspension is at its calmest. If you go over a patchy bit of road, you’ll be jostled around in your seat more, although rarely to a harsh, uncomfortable extent.

The M135 is a decent long-distance cruiser. Wind noise is low but there's some road noise to contend with.

“I found it good but not great fun. Perhaps a more exciting engine would do the trick.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

There’s plenty of tweaking potential for the driver’s seat and steering wheel in the BMW M135. We’ve yet to try the standard seats – only the upgraded M Sport seats, which are look like they’d be at home in the BMW M4 performance car. They come with chunky side bolsters to hold you in place in bends and an illuminated M logo on the headrest.

The forward view in the M135 is as good as in an Audi S3 or Mercedes AMG A35 thanks to its slim windscreen pillars and a clear view over the dashboard. Chunky rear pillars restrict the view over your shoulder though.

The large curved screen across the M135's dashboard includes a 10.7in digital driver's display and a 10.3in infotainment touchscreen. Sadly, you no longer get an iDrive dial between the front seats (it's been dropped across the BMW 1 Series range). You now have to control the system through touchscreen prods or voice commands. 

The S3 and A35 lack rotary controllers as well, but they at least have proper switches for the climate-control settings – on the M135 you change the temperature and fan speed using the touchscreen.

As standard you get DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat-nav, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a six-speaker, 100-watt stereo. A head-up display and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system are available as options.

The M135's interior quality is great. The dash and door tops are covered with artificial leather or soft-touch plastics, and the metal-look features are actual metal, unlike in some Mercedes models.

“I have to say it's a real shame that the M135 is less user-friendly than its predecessor, seeing as that’s something the pre-facelift model excelled at.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

There’ll be few complaints from those up front in the BMW M135. The driver and passenger have plenty of head and leg room, and the interior is usefully wide.

For storage, you get decent-sized door bins and a generous cubby under the central armrest. Add to that the tray in the centre console and there’s loads of room for stuff.

In the back of the M135, six-footers will have enough leg room and just enough head room. It's roughly equivalent to a Mercedes A35 AMG or Volkswagen Golf GTI. If you want a hot hatch with more rear-seat space, consider the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R or Skoda Octavia vRS.

The Octavia vRS has a much bigger boot too, but at 380 litres the M135’s boot is bigger than its premium rivals, the Audi S3 and A35, and matches the Golf GTI’s. It's also bigger than the boot in a regular BMW 1 Series.

The M135's boot is a useful boxy shape, with only a small load lip at the entry. Unusually, you have the option of 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats instead of the standard 60/40 split to which most of its rivals limit you.

“Due to its lack of mild-hybrid tech, the M135 has some extra boot space over the regular 1 Series. I was surprised to learn the difference is as large as 80 litres, though.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Out of the Audi S3, Mercedes AMG A35 and BMW M135, it’s the M135 that has the lowest list price. The Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTI are cheaper still – although not by as much as you might think.

In terms of fuel economy, the M135 officially averages 37.2mpg, while its CO2 emissions stick it straight into the most expensive BIK tax band. Still, it's a petrol-powered hot hatchback so that's to be expected. If you want a hot hatch that's also a cheap-to-run company car, consider the plug-in hybrid Cupra Leon or – cheaper still – the all-electric Alpine A290 or Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

The M135 comes with a reasonable list of standard equipment, including automatic lights and wipers, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, cruise control and 18in alloy wheels. Various 19in alternatives are available at extra cost.

While the M135 isn’t specifically referenced in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, the BMW 1 Series came third out of 25 cars in the family car class – beating the Audi A3 and VW Golf by some way. As a car brand, BMW managed an eighth place finish.

Like every BMW, the M135 is covered by a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, matching that provided by Mercedes for the A35.

When it was tested by the experts at Euro NCAP, the 1 Series received a maximum five-star rating. However, it should be noted that the Mercedes A-Class proved safer, scoring higher for adult chest protection and pedestrian safety. Both cars were tested more than five years ago, though – testing has become tougher since then.

Standard safety kit includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, traffic sign recognition, speed-limit assist, and a system that will warn you if you get too close to the car in front.

On top of that you can select the optional Driving Assistant package. It gets you an upgraded AEB that looks out for pedestrians, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert.

“With its lower list price and confidence-inspiring reliability, the BMW M135 looks to me like it makes the most financial sense next to direct rivals.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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