BMW doesn’t sell its 128ti hot hatch here in the United States, and that’s a shame. The new 2024 X1 M35i xDrive is the next best thing, filling the gap with a high-riding 312-hp SUV fit for an American audience.
The X1 M35i xDrive is the latest in BMW’s M Sport sub-brand, sitting neatly between its lineup of normal cars and its full-bore M machines. There’s a specific fascia with larger air intakes, along with a new kidney grille with double-vertical bars and an M badge. Outside you’ll also find side skirt extensions, a roof spoiler, and a diffuser out back.
Powering the X1 M35i xDrive is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four making 312 hp at 5750-6500 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at 2000-4500 rpm. It gets power to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, allowing for a claimed 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph, or 155 mph if you option high-performance tires.
BMW
BMW
Other standard equipment includes adaptive M suspension, a limited-slip differential for the front wheels, speed-sensitive steering, and 19-inch alloy wheels. Three different kinds of 20-inch alloys are available as options, as are bigger M brakes, which pair four-piston front and one-piston rear calipers to 15.2-inch and 13-inch discs, respectively.
Hop inside the X1 M35i xDrive and you’ll find an Alcantara-trimmed instrument panel, aluminum hex-pattern trim, M door sills, M pedals, M-specific graphics for the infotainment system and gauge cluster, and an M leather steering wheel. Black Alcantara-trimmed sports seats are standard, but big-boy M sports seats with extra bolstering and illuminated M logos are available as an option.
BMW
The 2024 BMW X1 M35i xDrive is priced from $50,895, including destination. That puts it above cars like the Volkswagen Golf R and Honda Civic Type R, but squarely in line with more luxurious offerings like the Acura Integra Type S. Deliveries are expected to begin in October 2023.
Brian Silvestro
Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Keyword: 2024 BMW X1 M35i Is the Closest Americans Will Get to a BMW Hot Hatch