Updated BMW M135i xDrive aims to be more engaging – like the 128ti

BMW updates the M135i xDrive with a raft of tweaks under the skin to make it a more engaging hot hatch, and new colours to make it stand out.

On paper, the BMW M135i xDrive is a promising hot hatch, with more than 300bhp going to all four wheels and the promise of much fun. But it’s always seemed a bit anodyne and never fully engaging.

That drawback was highlighted recently with the arrival of the FWD BMW 128ti which, with less power and less grip, offered more fun than its big brother could muster despite its superior power.

Now, BMW is aiming to redress the balance and inject more fun into the M135i with a raft of tweaks under the skin promising to make it more engaging, if no more powerful.

Changes to the setup include more negative camber at the front, tweaked springs and dampers, new wishbone mounts, new traction control (borrowed from the 128ti) and tuned M Sport steering. According to BMW, that all adds up to “a significant improvement in roll behaviour in corners“.

Other updates include more artificial engine noises pumped through the speakers (which we could do without) and some new colours including Sau Paulo Yellow (in the picture above), Frozen Orange and Frozen Pure Grey.

The updated M135i xDrive will not start to arrive in the UK until the new year, and you can probably expect prices to nudge up a bit from the current car’s £37,700.