24 August 2012
New car report; Another hot one
Up until now, go-fast 1 Series Beamers have relied on big hairy chested six cylinder powerplants to achieve high performance, with the 130i, 135i and sensational 1M all having used inline 3.0 litre straight sixes. They had tons of power and a throaty soundtrack, but guzzled the gas by today’s standards, so now things have changed and the latest sporty 1 Series is powered by a turbocharged four.
BMW aren’t the only German manufacturer to lop a couple of cylinders from their hot hatch in relatively recent times. Volkswagen’s hottest hatch received the same treatment a while ago, with the AWD Golf R32’s 3.2 litre V6 being replaced by a force-fed 2.0 litre four to power the R32’s replacement, the Golf R. And you know what? Both the BMW and the VW feel lighter, more nimble and more “21st century” for the haircut.
The new BMW 125i drives the rear wheels through a fantastic eight speed auto, powered by a 1,995cc inline 160kW/310Nm four cylinder engine. Fuel consumption is quoted at just 6.6L/100km with exhaust emissions of 154g/km CO2, thanks in part to the Start/Stop and other green features that make up BMW’s EfficientDynamics system. The 0-100km/h sprint is said to be achievable in 6.4 seconds.
Have BMW gone turbo-mad?
For a couple of decades, BMW engineers were telling us they’d never go the turbo way for production cars and that forced induction was for manufacturers who couldn’t build a decent atmo engine. But since they’ve unlocked the secrets of forced induction themselves, there seems to be no stopping them, with hairdryers being bolted to everything from little four pot motors such as this, through to large capacity, high performance V8’s. In fact, the latest addition to the X5 range has not one or two, but three of the things!
The BMW 125 M Sport hatch we tested recently offers lively performance, beautifully weighted steering providing positive driver feedback, great grip and cornering ability with all the handling predictability expected of a rear wheel drive premium Euro hatch.
Typical of BMW, it has a low slung seating position and the ride is firm. Those appreciating the sporty characteristics of “The Ultimate Driving Machine” won’t mind the firm ride, but those preferring a cosseted soft ride can select a more pedestrian model from the extensive 1 Series pricelist.
As always, the 1 Series hatch offers a decent level of practicality with reasonable luggage room and ample interior passenger space. Standard 125i M Sport features include Xenon headlights, cruise control with braking function, rain sensing wipers, headlight washers and of course, all the BMW Motorsport gear such as half Alcantara sport seats, sport suspension, body kit and tailpipes, 18 inch star spoke sport alloys and a high gloss black shadow line window surrounds.
The M Sport brake package on our test car was a $1,500 add-on and stopping power did impress, although we doubt that there’s anything much wrong with BMW’s standard brakes. Our car also had seat heating, electric seats, Park Assistant and a few other relatively pricey features that you could probably do without.
The test car also had an upgraded connectivity package which adds further features to the standard Bluetooth and USB interface, adding $950 to the price tag. Although the huge centrally mounted colour screen looks like a bit of an afterthought, it included a beautifully clear and detailed Satellite navigation system and surround view camera. However at $4,000 for the Nav, it seems over the top.
We like the fact that BMW don’t charge extra for what should be standard for all cars; ie, letting you actually drive it away, or otherwise known as On Road Costs, which can be up to a couple of grand on some luxury models. We also appreciate the 3 year Service Plan which in BMW’s case is pretty extensive, covering almost everything except tyres.
How does it compare with other hot hatch offerings?
The natural competitor would have to be Volkswagen with the Golf GTi and Golf R models. At $64,600 the 125i M Sport falls roughly midway between the two. It’s half a second quicker to 100km/h than the GTi and arguably the BMW badge deserves to carry a premium. With its great chassis and rear wheel drive superiority, the scales tip in favour of the 125i when lined up against the GTi.
However, the $73,500 Golf R is around a second quicker than the 125i, completing the 0-100km/h dash in just 5.5 seconds, plus there’s the tenacious grip of the 4Motion setup. With $11,300 worth of options as tested, our 125i M Sport retails for $76,200 so based on pricing it’s fairer a fairer comparison. And on that basis, if you want fast and furious, as good as the 125i is, bang for buck the lesser brand has the edge. Take away the options that were fitted to our test car and the BMW comes in at almost $10k under the VW, then it might be a different story.