BMW M135 xDrive 2025 review – all-wheel drive hot hatch eyes Audi S3

evo verdict

When equipped with the M Dynamic Pack, the latest M135 is the best version yet – quick and grippy with a surprisingly playful edge to its dynamics. But that doesn't make it one of the best hot hatches out there, as it’s still lacking feedback and connection, and an exciting engine to go with that aggressive chassis. There’s plenty to like elsewhere, including the glitzy new cabin and the fact the M135 undercuts key rivals on price, but it’s still not as fun as a Cupra Leon 300 – let alone a Civic Type R. 

Background

It’s update time for the BMW 1-series. An update so thorough, in fact, that the renewed 1-series family has been given a whole new model code: F70, superseding the previous F40 generation. With that has come a new range-topping M135 hot hatch (previously known as the M135i – BMW has dropped the ‘i’ partly to avoid confusion with its electric models) to go up against the likes of the Audi S3 and Mercedes-AMG A35. 

The old M135i didn’t completely win us over. It was a quick and capable hot hatch but lacked the pugnacious, playful character of the very best. It was a new kind of BMW performance car, sharing its platform with the Mini and being four-wheel drive with a four-cylinder engine, and it didn’t come together in an exciting, desirable whole. Of course, it didn’t help that the previous hot 1-series, the M140i, had a straight-six and stacks of charisma. 

The new M135 gets a smattering of upgrades to change that. As well as an exterior restyle and a new (and quite dramatic) interior, there are stiffening measures for the bodyshell and revised suspension, plus the option of an M Dynamic Pack with a track-tuned chassis. We’ve put the M135 through its paces on UK roads, with and without the M Dynamic Pack, to find out whether the changes turn it from a good hot hatch to great one. 

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

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• 2-litre B48 engine has been slightly detuned, still with nearly 300bhp
• Suspension hardware and geometry changes, plus a new M Dynamic Pack
• xDrive four-wheel drive, no manual gearbox option

As before, power comes from BMW’s 2-litre B48 engine but the output has actually decreased a little, from 302bhp to 296bhp, to comply with the latest emissions regulations. That’s no great issue; the M135i never felt slow. Peak torque stands at 295lb ft, delivered from as low as 2000rpm, with drive sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. The xDrive system is less advanced than in higher-end BMWs (or the setups you’ll find in an Audi S3 or Golf R), lacking an electronically controlled locking rear diff. Still, it helps the M135 along to a 4.9sec 0-62mph time, the top speed being capped at 155mph. 

The M135’s platform is shared with modern Minis, but BMW has engineered it for a more performance-oriented character. For this new model the suspension kinematics have been revised, along with the dampers, anti-roll bar mounts and geometry, with caster increased by around 20 per cent. The body itself is stiffer, too. 

18-inch wheels come as standard, with 19-inch wheels coming as part of the £3000 M Dynamic Pack. This also adds a drilled compound brake system, sports seats and a dynamic chassis setup tuned for the track. Stickier Michelin Cup 2 rubber is also offered as part of the pack. All in the M135 weighs 1550kg, making it far from a flyweight hot hatch but about on par with other four-wheel drive hot hatch rivals. 

Driver’s note

‘The M Dynamic Pack turns the M135 into quite a serious hot hatch. The M-tuned suspension and Cup 2 tyres make the chassis feel positive and playful in a way the old car never did. It’s just a shame that there’s still very little information through the steering, and the engine remains flat and characterless in its delivery.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer, who tested the BMW M135 on the road in the UK. 

Performance, ride and handling

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• M Dynamic Pack brings newfound grip and tenacity 
• Engine delivers the numbers but very little joy
• Numb steering compared to a Cupra Leon

Even without the M Dynamic Pack, the new M135 does feel a little keener than the older car, with more immediate responses and the ability to incite a little oversteer on turn-in should you wish, and a grippy overall balance if you don’t. But it’s still not the most communicative of hot hatches. It’s not a car in which you feel a strong sense of connection.

It often feels unsettled on bumpy roads and in general the M135 has a slightly nervous demeanour – keen of steering and rowdy of ride in its firmest setting – yet without rewarding you with many outright thrills in return. It can take a while to build a rapport, whereas other hot hatches of a similar size – Focus ST, Cupra Leon, the dearly departed Hyundai i30 N – are better at letting you know what they’re up to. The M135, of course, is aimed at a posher class of hot hatch than that – its natural competitors are other all-wheel-drive Germans such as the Volkswagen Golf R, Audi S3 and Mercedes-AMG A35.

Personal mode is the equivalent of Comfort in the older car, and by selecting Sport you can also cycle through modes for the Drivetrain (Comfort, Sport or Sport Plus), Driving Dynamics (Sport, Sport Plus or DSC Off) and Steering (Comfort or Sport).

Although adaptive dampers are standard, frustratingly there isn’t an obvious way to independently choose your damper settings – to mix the sharper throttle response of Sport with softer suspension, for example. In Sport and Sport Plus modes, the drivetrain also has a habit of noisily holding low gears and high revs through urban areas (to the point that pedestrians turn around and stare), so you’ll need to select manual mode and use the wheel-mounted paddles.

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The paddles conduct a different gearbox from the old M135i, a seven-speed DCT rather than the previous eight-speed torque-converter. Unsurprisingly, there’s no manual H-pattern gearbox option. Holding the left-hand paddle activates a Boost mode, which lasts for 10 seconds and gives you the sprightliest possible engine map, for an overtake or an extra shove out of a slow corner, for example.

Despite the slightly neutered output the engine pulls hard from low down and through the mid-range, the four-wheel drive system not wasting a scrap of power. But there’s very little incentive to hold onto gears and rev it out. The motor starts to strain rather than come to life as it spins faster, and the synthetic engine noise isn’t very pleasant. More pleasant than the natural sound of the engine, however – turn off the fake noise and it sounds harsh and thrashy, and unbefitting of a hot hatch. 

The M Dynamic Pack does nothing for the powertrain, but it does give the M135’s handling a welcome extra edge. On Cup 2 rubber there’s great bite from the front end and real tenacity to the way it turns in, the rear following neatly and sometimes nudging wide in classic hot hatch style. It’s progressive and playful at the limit, surprisingly so, although the xDrive system doesn’t provide an extra layer of adjustability under power like you’ll find in an Audi S3 or Golf R. It tightens its line slightly but doesn’t let you drive out on the throttle in a satisfying neutral stance. The ride, meanwhile, remains firm and fidgety at times but it’s still less brittle than an S3 over harsh bumps (that car can sometimes knock and thump as if there’s something loose in the suspension).

Though the package makes the M135 feel like a more serious hot hatch, it’s still missing the tactility of the very best, primarily in terms of the steering. It does weight up as you put load into the tyres but there’s almost no granular feedback in any of the modes (Comfort feels best to us, Sport being a little on the heavy side). The M Sport brakes could do with a little more feel at the top of the pedal too, but there’s good stopping power once deep into the pedal. 

Driver’s note

‘The M135 is a curious mix, with a genuinely entertaining handling balance and impressive point to point speed, but lacking the zippy, characterful engine and sense of connection of the best hot hatches. The M Dynamic Pack brings out more of its potential but doesn’t cure these core limitations.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer, who tested the BMW M135 on the road in the UK. 

Interior and tech

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• Revamped cabin design with ambient lighting galore
• Touch-only interface, with no iDrive clickwheel
• Typically thick M steering wheel, but it is at least round

A potential USP for the M135 is its avant-garde new interior, which does feel suitably premium, with a bold dash design and futuristic ambient lighting. Two-in-one curved digital screens dominate the dashboard, and the user experience too, as the majority of commands must be carried out through the touchscreen, including the air‑con and driving modes. Subjectively, the older, clickwheel-controlled iDrive interface is easier to use and demands less eyes-off-road time.

The screen-centric layout does make the new 1-series cabin feel thoroughly modern, however. Its expressive lighting schemes are woven across the screens and panels and fissures on and within the dashboard itself, and the door inners. One irritating drawback is that, at night, the illuminated sections of the dash cause distracting reflections in both the door mirrors and the windscreen.

You can choose lighting schemes through the My Modes menu, which is also where you’ll find the drive mode options. It’s odd that there’s not a dedicated switch for this; it doesn’t feel like the driver-centric approach you’d expect of an M-badged car. It’s admirable that BMW has been adventurous with the 1-series’ restyle inside and out, but some of the interior changes frustrate as much as they enchant. 

Price and rivals

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The M Dynamic Pack-equipped M135 is BMW’s best effort at a traditional hot hatch yet, but it still doesn’t offer a memorable enough drive to recommend it wholeheartedly over the AMG A35, Audi S3 or VW Golf R. At £45,525 the M135 undercuts the Mercedes and Audi but matches the Golf, although it’s worth noting that this option-laden test car, with uprated brakes, sports seats, altered trim, adaptive LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof and more, cost a cool £53,665. 

The M Dynamic Pack brings the best out of the car, but adds a chunky £3000 to the base price. With a few options it’s easy to pay Civic Type R money for an M135, and at that level our money would go to the Honda, every time. It’s the best hot hatch of its generation. Further down the food chain there are other front-drive contenders such as the £43,775 Cupra Leon 300. Its cabin isn’t as modern or well built and it lacks the BMW’s all-weather ability, but it’s just as powerful and more fun. 

BMW M135 specs