Road Test: BMW 125i M Sport Steptronic

For a couple of decades BMW engineers were adamant that we wouldn’t find a turbocharger strapped to one of their engines. Oh, how times have changed. It seems that having discovered the power of forced induction, BMW are strapping turbos to any and everything these days. From the entry-level 1.6-litre in their 116i to the 4.4-litre V8 in the M5, we now find turbocharged cars throughout the BMW product range. They’ve even gone so far as to bolt three of the things to their diesel-powered X6!

It makes sense of course. In the face of dwindling natural resources, including fresh air, extracting more from less is as much about cubic centimetres and kilowatts, as it is about the survival of the planet as we know it. Oh yes, and how could I forget, world peace. Am I about to suggest that the new BMW 125i M Sport is the car that will save humanity and the planet? No, that wouldn’t do the 125i much justice. I’m just going to tell you why, despite losing two cylinders and gaining a turbocharger, this 1 Series M Sport model is so darn good.

If we judge the proverbial book by its cover, and let’s be honest, we all do, then BMW’s designers have scored a try and conversion with the 125i M-Sport. Kitted out with the M Aerodynamics package, 18-inch ‘star-spoke’ alloy wheels, high-gloss black ‘Shadow Line’ trim, tinted rear windows and Estoril Blue metallic paintwork, the 125i M Sport is a sporty hatchback that scores a ten on the yuppie scale. Of the available trim levels for the new 1 Series, which include ‘Sport Line’ and ‘Urban Line’, the M Sport package transforms the car, as it did with the previous generation 1 Series (E87), and has made me a 1 Series admirer.

The M Sport package extends to the car’s interior too, where it capitalises on the already premium nature of the 1 Series by adding figure-hugging sports seats and flashes of aluminium trim on the door handles and centre console. In addition, a matte blue ‘accent line’ runs the length of the dashboard, the headliner is an anthracite colour and a rather small, thoughtful and valid M Sport add-on, is that of a knee pad on centre console for the driver. Why more manufacturers don’t think of this is beyond me, but you only need to knock your knee once to learn its value.

My specific press car was dripping with optional extras, but BMW have a knack of packaging it all in a way that doesn’t intimidate and is intuitive to get on with. Some of the optional equipment included the ConnectedDrive system for access to the Internet and web radio, as well as satellite navigation, park distance control, lane change departure warning, bi-xenon adaptive headlights with high beam assist, heated front seats, a sunroof and more. The list of available accessories is long and they can quickly push the 125i M Sport Steptronic’s base price of R385 600 over the half-a-million mark. On the other hand, you can specify your 1 Series with levels of equipment previously only reserved for the more executive models in the range.

In standard guise the 1 Series is already a taught package in terms of ride and handling, offering positive steering feel and response to match. The M Sport package adds to this, with M Sports suspension that is 10 mm lower than standard and firmer too. Unlike the suspension setup on the previous generation E87 M Sport models, however, BMW have managed to achieve a far more compliant ride, while still endowing the car with impressive cornering ability. Another key contributor in this area are the 245/35 and 225/40 profile tyres at the back and front respectively. The mixed sizes don’t do much for cost of ownership, but they certainly make sense with the available power of the 125i, with the only reservation being pronounced road noise on coarser tarmac.

Fitted with the optional Servotronic and Variable Sports Steering, the 125i M Sport offers speed-dependent levels of power steering assistance, as well as a reduction in the number of steering wheel rotations required to make sharp turns around town. It’s one of the best examples of electronically assisted power-steering right now and makes the M Sport a pleasure to pilot. While the quick turn-in may take a little getting used to, beyond that, the minimal angle of steering input required is almost a revelation, most notable when navigating the confines of suburbia. In ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport+’ driving modes, (more on those in a minute), it stiffens up noticably, providing a heavier and more reassuring feel at higher speeds.

In terms of outright performance, the BMW 125i offers a bridge between the less powerful 118i and potent M135i, which was missing in the previous 1 Series line-up. Thumb the starter button and the first thing you’ll notice is the rather uninspiring 4-cylinder hum, with an exhaust note to match. Yes, it’s sad to have lost the soulful and signature howl of the 3.0-litre straight- six of the previous 125i, but strictly speaking, that engine was never available in the hatchback anyway, only the Coupe and Cabriolet, so maybe it’s more a case of wishful thinking on my part. Regardless of the soundtrack, however, the turbocharged four isn’t short of power and especially not torque, with 160 kW and 310 Nm. Performance is lively, progress is swift and in-gear acceleration is punchy thanks to peak torque across a wide rev range of 1 350 – 4 800 r/min.

The 8-speed Steptronic transmission is nothing short of fantastic in the way it transitions between cogs. It’s so smooth, that you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a dual-clutch unit, when in fact it’s a conventional torque converter. The proof is in the performance figures too, with the Steptronic outperforming the 6-speed manual by 0.2 seconds in the 0 – 100 km/h sprint, while in the real world conditions, that figure would be even greater, unless you’d taken driving lessons from one of BMW’s DTM drivers.

Four driving modes are available to choose from, including Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. The first two are relaxed in terms of throttle and transmission response, with BMW claiming as low as 6.4 L/100km when driven carefully and in combination with the engine stop/start system. Comfort mode brings life to the throttle, while Sport mode adds an even more direct response, with the transmission being keener to change down and chase the rev needle higher.

The Sport Plus mode is exclusive to the M Sport models and offers an intermediate setting for the car’s Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), whereby more wheel slip is allowed before the safety systems take over. The 125i M Sport is a joy to throw around corners, even in the wet, and the only thing that could make it more rewarding for these odd occasions, might be the manual transmission. I say ‘might’, because with increasingly sophisticated transmissions, it’s a debate that rages on.

In combination with the latest advances in BMW’s engine technology, M Sport suspension, automatic transmission and Sport+ DSC mode, the 125i M Sport offers a driving experience akin to a sports car rather than a hot hatch. Priced between the ‘hot’ and ‘hotter’ hatches, such as the Golf GTI and Golf R or Renault Megane RS Sport and Renault Megane RS Cup, the BMW 125i M Sport is a very tempting package indeed. It’s also the rear-wheel drive alternative to the de facto front-wheel drive hatchback configuration.

What we like…

• The M Sport package, both inside and out.
• Unique M Sport Estoril Blue paintwork and matching blue M Sport Brake calipers.
• Plenty of grunt from the turbocharged engine, the rear-wheel drive layout and Steptronic transmission.
• M Sport seats, steering wheel and general build quality.

What we would like…

• To be able to adjust the headlights, as the automatic units shone a little too low.
• Less road noise from the tyres on occasion.
• A larger display to show what gear you’re in when racing around in Sport+.

Images via AutoExpress and AA New Zealand

Comments

comments