However, the maximum torque split is 50/50 and most of the time the M135i runs in front-wheel drive, unlike larger xDrive models that work the other way around. Not quite, for although the handling, steering, brakes, traction, specification and interior design are all very much the right side of excellent, the same cannot quite be said of the performance. Our car was fitted with the optional two-stage adaptive dampers (Comfort and Sport), which have an underlying firmness even in their softest setting but do a decent job of isolating you from bumps, on Germany’s smoothly surfaced roads at least. BMW 1 Series M135i 2019 review; BMW 1 Series M135i 2019 review. It’s even more noticeably augmented in Sport mode. Mated to this system is the familiar eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox.The 1 Series is also the first internal-combustion-engined model to benefit from Suspension changes are limited to a stiffer set-up, with a 10mm-lower ride height (two-stage adaptive dampers are optional and fitted to our test car), while at the front, the subframe gets an extra couple of bracing bars for increased steering accuracy. And while you can understand the business case for what BMW has done, you can’t escape a certain sadness that without rear drive and, in the case of the M140i, a creamy six-cylinder motor, the 1 Series is no longer the unique offering it was. I think they'd see them - older, more encumbered with offspring and pets, perhaps - trading up to a 3 or something X-ey.On the styling, I do agree on the MPV like nature of it, which I believe is the current X styling filtering its way down...resulting in this, the MPV-a-fying of a hatch. And it’s certainly not a patch on the howling straight six.Accelerating hard also reveals another quirk that will be On the way in to corners, there’s terrific front-end bite, too, the BMW’s nose reacting instantly to the quick steering, which delivers decent feedback, and staying resolutely locked to your chosen line. Ignore the badge and the rear-wheel-drive heritage and the M135i makes a strong case for itself as a fast and engaging four-wheel-drive hot hatch that’s also refined, well finished, practical and only a few hundred quid This isn’t really such an issue in the cooking versions, but as a car aimed at enthusiasts, it’s more of a challenge. It looks more like the Ultimate Carting the Kids to School Machine than a hatchback.Anyway, enthusiasts should stick with the 2 series coupe as BMW aren't going to mess with the six up front and power to the back formula.With the previous M135i/M140i always having not just a 3.0 litre, but also a turbocharged, engine it was always going to be a bit of an issue when it came to replacing it, whether it was RWD or FWD orientated, even if BMW went to the expense of creating a new V6 to slot in transversely. Or, to be more accurate, the nature of the performance, because there’s nothing whatsoever wrong with the 135i’s objective acceleration.No, the issue is all about character, about the way the car delivers its thrust. Hmmmm. Lift off the throttle and the M135i tucks even further into the apex, with the multi-link rear axle giving enough rotation for genuine off-throttle adjustability.Get back on the power and the front diff helps resist understeer, but with an open rear diff and a maximum 50/50 torque split, the BMW simply fires straight and true out of the corner, the only drama being that slight torque-reaction tightening of the steering. All good stuff, then. ECU Remapping for BMW 1 Series M135i 315 bhp. While it gave the M135i/M140i so much character and punch continuining with a large lazy, torquey engine in a 1 Series just wouldn't have sat comfortably in BMW's M/M Performance line-up. ... Post by OPOGTS » Mon Jul 29, 2019 1:29 pm.

We will use your information to ensure you receive messages that are relevant to you. Hit the starter button and the engine burbles into life in a similar fashion to the old straight six.

A development of the brand’s existing 2.0-litre four-pot, it packs a stronger crank and pistons, plus higher-flow fuel injectors. BMW claims the 0-62mph takes 4.8sec and, if anything, that’s a conservative figure. Despite essentially sharing the same footprint as its predecessor (it’s actually 5mm shorter) it’s a roomier machine, with more head and leg room (up by 33mm) in the back and a bigger and class-competitive 380-litre boot.The interior looks and feels more upmarket, too, the sweeping dashboard design, knurled metal-effect ventilation controls and wall-to-wall soft-touch plastics helping make it more than a match for Refinement has been vastly improved, with less wind and engine noise in the cabin.