BMW appears to have taken the whole ‘facelift’ thing quite literally. Because this is the new M135i, featuring a new set of lights that look so pinched and pulled back, we have no idea what this baby M car is thinking anymore.
Happy? Sad? Anxious? Angry? No idea. BMW’s 1 Series only looked cool once – the Bangle one – but even the more recent 1er’s distinctive face appears to have been traded for a rather more homogenous front that now just looks permanently surprised about something.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Guess which compact SUV has the most effective advanced driver assist system
Confirmed: The cute little VinFast VF 3 will come to the Philippines
Maybe it’s the continuing fact it’s been demoted from the horsepower wars. Like its predecessor, the range-topping M135i features a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine, kicking out 296hp and… some torque. We don’t know how much, but we do know this little ‘un will go from 0-100kph in 4.9s – about a tenth slower than before – and on to a 250kph top speed.
So it’s not going to set the hot hatch world on fire, but, as we found with its predecessor, 300-ish horsepower is plenty enough in the world of 2024. There’s a seven-speed ‘Steptronic’ auto ‘box as standard, and of course four-wheel-drive.
The M135i gets a special bodykit befitting its status, including bigger air intakes on the front apron, bigger side skirts… on the side, and a ‘3D’ rear diffuser. You’ll also spot four-exhaust pipes at the back, along with more M-specific jewellery. Bigger brakes, bigger wheels, stiffer suspension and lightweighting options will all be available later this year.
Alongside the refreshed M135i comes the refreshed 120i, too. It’s only fractionally longer and taller than before – looks more crossover-y, now, huh – and features those botox’d headlights, a wide ‘forward-leaning’ grille, and the ‘wedge’ silhouette carried over fairly wholesale from the old car.
The biggest change has been saved for the interior, now dominated by that enormous ‘Curved Display’ spanning across the driver and center: a 10.25in unit for the former, a 10.7in one for the latter. It’s running BMW’s version nine operating system.
There are standard-fit heated, leather-free seats, a redesigned gear selector, “high quality surfaces and trim” and even a new steering wheel. Looks fairly high-spec in there.
The 120i gets a three-cylinder petrol engine and a little electric motor snuggled inside the seven-speed auto ‘box to give it some electrification. This car gets 166hp and a 0-100kph time of 7.8s.
There’s more caster up front. A stiffer bodyshell. Tweaked dampers. Tonnes of ‘automated’ driving systems (stuff like cruise control and lane control and steering assist and so on, not self-driving). Tons of apps, too.
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
