We've tested the subtly updated BMW M135i xDrive - can it keep pace with the Audi S3 Sportback, Mercedes-AMG A35 and Volkswagen Golf R?
And now it’s received an update. This isn’t the proper facelift – that’s not due until 2024 – and apart from some new paint options like the retina-searing Sao Paulo Yellow in the photos, the changes are purely mechanical.
The aim, say the engineers, was to create a wider broadband for the M135i as a model range by focusing the standard M Sport suspension as the driving enthusiast’s choice, while preserving the adaptively suspended car’s capabilities as an all-rounder. To that end, all versions get more sound piped in through the speakers, more alert torque vectoring by braking, retuned xDrive and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, but cars with M Sport suspension get new springs and dampers, two degrees of front camber, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres on 19in wheels and stiffer bushes and mounts benefiting steering precision.The changes have definitely separated the two versions.
After a drive in both versions, though, I’m unconvinced that the sport suspension’s level of chassis sharpness is worth the uncompromising ride. It turns in with a touch more immediacy and, thanks to the wider Pilot Sport 4Ss, the cornering speeds can be higher, but it’s still hampered by the uncommunicative steering and it doesn’t address the slightly humourless chassis balance. Is it more fun on the road? Not necessarily.
The adaptive dampers, which are only £500 extra, strike a far more appetising compromise. The set-up is not only softer, it’s also better damped, benefiting daily drivability to no end. The smidgen of extra body roll compensates for the numb steering to let you know what’s going on and the reduced grip from the narrower ‘plain’ Pilot Sport 4 tyres makes the car feel that little bit more playful at road speeds.
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