BACK IN ANGER

BMW's M135 xDrive has found some much-needed focus with its new M Dynamic Pack, but is it enough to give it the edge over Mercedes-AMG's A35?

- by YOUSUF ASHRAF PHOTOGRAPHY by ASTON PARROTT

THERE WAS A UNIVERSAL SIGH of disappointment when the BMW 1-series switched to front-wheel drive in 2019 for its F40 generation. No longer was it a uniquely tail-driven hatch with a longitudinal engine, and with it came the death of the six-cylinder M140i - not a perfect hot hatch by any means, but one with a uniquely appealing hot-rod character and huge tuning potential; a tempting alternative to cookie-cutter four-pot rivals. For the F40, BMW promised that the hot version - the four-cylinder, four-wheel-drive M135i xDrive - was better to drive and lighter than its predecessor, but only the latter was true. The 1-series had lost its USP, and most of its charisma.

That was then, and BMW hasn't given up on trying to create a genuinely exciting hot hatch from those Mini underpinnings, launching a facelifted M135 (sans the 'i', with a new F70 model designation) with fettled suspension and a stiffer structure last year. The changes weren't transformative, the M135 being brisk and capable but still quite bland on all fronts, but the new M Dynamic Pack - introduced with the updated model and now available in the UK - might just be the ticket. For an extra £3000 on top of the £45,525 base price you get a smattering of performance upgrades, including 19-inch lightweight wheels, an M-specific track-tuned chassis, a drilled compound braking system and M Sport seats. Oh, and the option of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. When was the last time you saw a hatchback on Cup 2s? It was probably a Renault Sport of some sort. The M135 would do very well to channel that kind of focus, if it can.