NEW BMW M135

Time marches on and the rate of change really hits home when cars like the popular 1 Series enter a fourth generation. You’ll recall that the 135 badge once represented a riotous rear-driven pocket-rocket with a blown straight-six, but in this new world the fourth-gen M135 offers a very punchy 2.0-litre turbo with drive directed fore and aft, an auto ’box only (with seven speeds), and digital cabin displays that will delight the tech-savvy.

You can certainly drive this hot hatch with great purpose. It grips resolutely, resists roll keenly and always feels stable and precise on fast, flowing roads. Don’t expect the firm M Sport suspension to keep the body perfectly settled on a motorway cruise but you have to make some allowance with handling this agile. It’s a quick and undeniably effective tool that is mostly fun to steer without being the last word in driver engagement.

Of course, xDrive makes it easy to deploy the ample power with confidence and the M135 will surge to 100km/h in a fraction under five seconds. Such acceleration comes with a pleasingly rorty soundtrack from a quartet of pipes. You may often drive this car keenly in Sport mode for the sheer amusement.

Up front, you can’t help but notice the new take on BMW’s double kidney grille that introduces  horizontal vanes. It’s very black and very high-gloss, like the window frames and air breather. The contrast with the Alpine White of our test car was striking. There’s a bit more aggression in the overall shape, too, with a lower bonnet line, more detail in the flanks and a bit more overall length in profile. The roofline for this new model is slightly higher, though, for the benefit of passenger headroom.

The M Sport body kit and 19-inch alloys certainly add a sense of visual purpose and give the M135 an excellent stance. The broad tail lights are a design triumph and look terrific when lit. They complement the diffuser and pipe display below and make for a great rear end. However we were less thrilled by the model number pressed into the plastic trim on the rear doors.

At this high spec level, you get a raft of premium cabin features as well as trademark M division touches in the way of tricoloured decorative stitching and motifs, which are nicely executed. The figure-hugging seats are a cabin highlight, being clad in Verganza leather (coral red and black) and offering driver and front passenger electric lumbar adjustment and massage function. Overhead is a very large two-piece sliding sunroof. There’s no shortage of interesting shapes and textures in the cabin, such as the illuminated aluminium in a hexacube pattern. The new Curved Display effectively combines two good-sized screens. Many functions have now migrated to the central touchscreen but shortcuts and quick-access menus boost usability.

There are a few premium offerings to choose from if you’re after a fast compact five-door with serious X factor. The M135 definitely makes our podium and its pricing does not seem unreasonable for the quality, performance and equipment that $100k buys.