No family hatchback line-up would be complete without a hot range topper, and this new M135i xDrive is just that car for the new BMW 1 Series. For a start, it鈥檚 not front-wheel drive. The M135i is only available with BMW鈥檚 four-wheel drive xDrive system, which can send as much as 50 per cent of the power to the rear axle. On the subject of power, there鈥檚 302bhp and 450Nm of torque from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol motor that鈥檚 an evolution of the motor first seen in BMW鈥檚 X2 M35i xDrive hot SUV. But compared with that engine it boasts new pistons for higher compression, stronger con rods, a new, larger twin scroll turbo and new fuel injectors. In this prototype it felt very measured and linear. That maximum torque output is delivered from 1,750rpm and sustained to 4,500rpm, so there鈥檚 strong performance low down and not much lag, while it revs out with a decent level of aggression too. However, it鈥檚 not the most characterful unit, so much so that BMW has enhanced the engine鈥檚 note with a contrived sound under load.
There鈥檚 a rorty noise and some pops on upshifts from the sports exhaust, we just wish we could hear more of this. The gearbox itself is good. An eight-speed automatic that shifts swiftly and smoothly no matter whether you鈥檙e going up or down, but it doesn鈥檛 feel as rapid as the best dual-clutch systems. It doesn鈥檛 enhance nor does it hinder the driving experience, but what about that new platform? There鈥檚 a good level of grip and the balance is benign, so you can jump in and drive it to its limit very quickly - something BMW鈥檚 engineers explicitly wanted to achieve. Even once you approach or exceed that limit the M135i feels friendly, but not all that thrilling. That鈥檚 because it pushes into understeer whereas its rear-driven ancestor wanted to indulge you in small slides. Our early drive was limited to a tight and twisty handling circuit, so we couldn鈥檛 tell much about the ride on the standard 18-inch wheels. There is a subtle degree of adjustability, but even with the clever new integrated traction control and stability system that鈥檚 design to inject more of a fun feel, we鈥檇 have liked a little more. After all, this is BMW鈥檚 calling card.
Downsized diesel engines like this can sometimes be coarse on the move, but as long as you don鈥檛 extend the 1.5 unit too far beyond 3,000rpm, it鈥檚 smooth, delivers a sustained surge of performance and isn鈥檛 too grumbly. The rest of the time it鈥檚 refined, and the motor鈥檚 diesel drone melts into the background. It鈥檚 matched by a chassis that smooths out the road relatively well, with a long wheelbase that gives a nice, lazy and languid feel to the way it deals with most bumps. But as with most cars on the EMP2 platform, harsher inputs clatter through the chassis. The small steering wheel makes it feel too keen to turn if anything, but the chassis has just enough agility to keep up. Kia has updated its Optima with a fresh look and a more efficient 1.6-litre turbodiesel, plus extra safety tech. These are all important points in this sector, so can this 拢24,260 Optima 1.6 CRDi 鈥?鈥?(our pictures show a 鈥?鈥?trim car) take victory?
Although the Kia boasts 5bhp and 20Nm more torque than the Peugeot, it鈥檚 also 175kg heavier, which is a substantial amount and enough to dull the Optima鈥檚 on-paper performance advantage. The gearbox is also more pleasant in the Optima, because the Kia鈥檚 shift action is slicker and more consistent, so with steering that feels precise enough for the size and weight of the car the Kia handles acceptably. The steering is also better judged compared with the very alert feeling you get from the small wheel in Peugeot. It doesn鈥檛 have the soft, fluid damping of the 508 on the motorway because body control is a little tauter, but then over bumps and potholes the back axle in particular doesn鈥檛 rebound as aggressively. The Optima feels better balanced front to back than the 508; it鈥檚 just bland to drive. The Insignia Grand Sport is currently our favourite car in this class.
It offers practicality and plenty of technology at an affordable price, and is surprisingly good to drive. We鈥檙e testing it here in 拢23,450 1.6 Turbo D 136 SRi Nav guise to see if it can fend of the challenge from the Peugeot. Vauxhall鈥檚 1.6-litre turbodiesel unit in 134bhp tune is a known quantity, and it鈥檚 just as strong here. The torque available combined with the car鈥檚 shorter gearing means there鈥檚 great flexibility. The Insignia showed just how much at our test track, where it accelerated from 50 to 70mph in top in 8.8 seconds - 2.4 seconds quicker than both rivals. It was also the fastest from 0-60mph with a time of 9.3 seconds, while going from 30 to 70mph through the gears the Grand Sport was the swiftest, too. On that subject, the gearshift is acceptable, but nothing more than that, really. However, the chassis is surprisingly sweet. The car rides with supple composure, tracking over bumps and rifts in the road with a relatively gentle touch. You feel the Vauxhall being jostled by larger imperfections in the road, but the wheels only thump occasionally and the body is controlled well, so it鈥檚 actually composed.
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