This is the BMW 128ti, a hot hatch specifically for those that find a 125i too anodyne and a M135i too not affordable. Niche, eh?
Although not really niche at all, because by pricing it at £32,995 exactly and giving it a classic hot hatch vibe, the 128ti is very much camped in the KFC car park next to the likes of the Honda Civic Type R (£32,820), the Ford Focus ST (£33,095) and the Volkswagen Golf (£33,460). Yep, it’s that sort of car.
The 128ti comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard, which the aforementioned do not, and although that will put off the true hot hatch aficionado, who insists on a manual gearbox, don’t be fooled into thinking this is soft. You see, the ‘ti’ bit stands for Turismo Internazionale, which is BMW speak for “we’ve fettled this to make it as much fun as possible”. It’ll be fun, believe us.
It’s also decent value. If you want to add an auto to your new Golf GTI it’s going to take the price to £35,000, while a BMW M135i costs £36,500. Granted, that car has more power and four-wheel drive, but the ti here is lighter to the tune of 80kg and has had its front-wheel drive chassis fettled to make it very possibly…say this quietly…the more entertaining of the two.
So, this has 261bhp from a 2.0-litre turbo engine and driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic. That’s compared to 302bhp in the M135i (from the same engine), and 242bhp in the Golf. Peak torque is 400Nm, making its all-important 0-62mph time just 6.1 seconds. Again that’s a little better than the time quoted for the latest Golf, which does it in 6.3 seconds. Fuel economy is rated at 44.1mpg.
Of course, anyone that knows their hot hatches will tell you that the numbers are but a sideshow, and that what’s really important is how these things handle the business of cornering. And it appears that the 128ti will be on point. It comes with a full suite of M Division modifications designed to make it handle with a plum…
…sorry, aplomb, that is. Something didn’t’ seem quite right there. A Torsen mechanical limited slip differential will help tug it around the sharpest of corners at unreal speed, while bespoke M Sport suspension means that although the ride will be firm, there'll be a good reason for that, unlike the ride quality of your dad’s 118d M Sport. The ti here has a setup designed to minimise torque steer and maximise grip.
The brakes are aluminium and massive, for maximum fade-free stopping power with good feel, and as standard the 128ti comes with 18-inch M Sport light alloys complete with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
As you can see it’s had a bit of visual work, including two-tone finish for the aforementioned wheels, a black grille, black finish for the duel chrome tailpipes and the window surrounds, and a body kit in contrasting red. The interior is part-leather and has a prominent ‘ti’ badge on the central armrest, lest your passengers forget what they’re in, and standard kit includes BMW’s infotainment touchscreen, dual zone air con and a digital instrument panel.
The BMW 128ti will be available to order from November, with first deliveries early next year.
Keyword: BMW undercuts Golf GTI with hot 128ti. Nice.