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High expectations for the BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

High expectations for the BMW 130i
BMW's styling of the 1 Series continues to divide opinion like few others and will polarise prospective buyers almost instantly. The M Sport front end adds some menace.

   



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The introduction of the 1 Series pushed the coveted BMW brand down into more mass market segments, locking horns with institutional cars such as the VW Golf for the first time. BMW sought to offer an enthusiast's choice by compromising the packaging benefits of traditional front-wheel drive in return for the dynamic trump card of rear wheel drive; something we've previously felt to be a real success. The BMW 1 Series range has now filled out and the latest addition, though not an M-car, sits at the head of the line-up. Finding itself among hot hatches, coupes and sports saloons the new BMW 130i is in competition with a wide spectrum of cars as diverse as the VW Golf R32, Nissan 350Z and Subaru Impreza WRX.

BMW's styling of the 1 Series continues to divide opinion like few others and will polarise prospective buyers almost instantly. The M Sport front end adds some menace and the 130i is difficult to differentiate from a 330i in the rear view mirror of another car. In profile the 1 Series still looks a little awkward and something of an acquired taste, but sitting low on M Sports suspension it looks noticeably more purposeful than lesser 1 Series models. The five-spoke alloys are lovely as well (the 19-inch items are standard with the M Sport package) and the large exhaust protruding from the heavily sculpted rear skirt indicates some of the potential lurking under the long bonnet.

The installation of BMW's middleweight title-holding three-litre straight-six into its smallest car yields some impressive performance figures: 0-60mph in the low 6s, 100mph in a further 8 seconds and the ability to kiss the restrictor at 155mph with considerable ease. Bear in mind that the E36 M3 had only 286bhp and it gives the 260bhp in the nose of the 130i some perspective. In-gear performance probably exceeds that of the old M-car as the extra features on the new engine (such as double-VANOS and VALVETRONIC) yield a broader spread of torque. The test car was also extremely rev friendly, screaming up to and through the redline with some zest.

As ever the six-pot offers a variety of aural treats. The full repertoire of howls, wails and screams are present and able, and six well-spaced ratios, accessed through a precise, slick and swift change, allow the driver to tailor the rate of change of pace and sounds as necessary. I spent a large amount of time in the BMW 130i with the stereo off; always a good indicator of the vocal delights on offer from induction, exhaust and the combustion processes and machinations in between.

So, plenty of pace and enticement from the engine combined with a chassis we always felt could handle more power. A recipe for success? Well yes, but with some caveats. Our favourite driving roads found the 130i a little lacking due to overly stiff suspension, at the rear in particular. With the DSC in its standard setting (i.e. on) the yellow light flickers on the dash almost constantly when pushing on, an indication of just how unsettled the car is and the electronics' reaction to the erratic movements. This leads to jerky progress and a real lack of fluency in one's cross country endeavours. Frustration can be alleviated by disabling the system to remove its interventions, but the nervousness of the rear end is never eased. It's actually an annoyance given the potential displayed by the lesser models we've driven previously, as ultimately the lack of composure limits the rate of progress and one begins to yearn for smoother bitumen.

Here, the BMW 130i can shine. Blessed with bags of grip courtesy of the big tyres it carries plenty of cornering speed with minimal body roll. The steering lacks a little in the feedback department but it is still easy and rewarding to accurately direct the car through a series of bends. With the DSC set on the intermediate setting the 130 can be moved around slightly and flows more naturally; completely disabling the system allows further exploration of the chassis' limits, although the lack of a limited slip differential means power can be spun away through the inside wheel in tighter corners.

The brakes remained unruffled by our spirited driving and offered plenty of stopping power combined with decent feel and a pedal positioned nicely for heel and toe downshifts to allow full enjoyment of the straight-six's soundtrack. Overall it has the handling talent to entertain. However, a near £27k price tag pushes the BMW 130i into serious territory where it will come into contact with drivers' favourites such as the Nissan 350Z. We will shortly try a non M Sport car with different wheel and tyre combinations to see whether they help to plant the rear of the car more securely on more challenging surfaces, as in this guise, at this price, some of the competition offer more unflustered and enjoyable progress.

Some offer more space as well, as the limitations of the 130i's packaging are exposed at this price. A Golf has more interior space, even more so an Impreza. What it does enjoy is a cabin quality that the majority of the market can't match, not to mention a thoroughbred powertrain.

As a premium hatch the BMW 130i enjoys a comfortable advantage over rivals such as the Audi A3, but as a hot hatch the Golf GTi has it hard pushed to justify the premium, despite its inherent rear drive advantage. The 130i's proximity to some serious drivers' cars such as the 350Z and Honda S2000 further challenge its case and it finds itself in a relatively small niche. In M Sport guise, the niche is even smaller.
BMW 1 Series UK range overview

- BMW 116i: £15,995
- BMW 118d: £17,885
- BMW 118i: £17,800
- BMW 120d: £19,410
- BMW 120i: £18,885
- BMW 116i ES: £16,820
- BMW 118d ES: £18,710
- BMW 118i ES: £18,625
- BMW 120d ES: £20,235
- BMW 120i ES: £19,710
- BMW 116i SE: £17,945
- BMW 118d SE: £19,835
- BMW 118i SE: £19,750
- BMW 120d SE: £21,360
- BMW 120i SE: £20,835
- BMW 130i SE: £24,770
- BMW 116i Sport: £17,945
- BMW 118d Sport: £19,835
- BMW 118i Sport: £19,750
- BMW 120d Sport: £21,260
- BMW 120i Sport: £20,735
- BMW 116i M Sport: £19,690
- BMW 118d M Sport: £21,580
- BMW 118i M Sport: £21,495
- BMW 120d M Sport: £23,035
- BMW 120i M Sport: £22,510
- BMW 130i M Sport: £26,540

Dave Jenkins - 25 Apr 2006



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2006 BMW 1 Series specifications: (M Sport)
Price: £26,515 on-the-road (test car was fitted with Bluetooth, Boston leather, floor mats, metallic paint, satnav and voice control at an extra cost of £4,095).
0-62mph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed: 155mph
Combined economy: 30.7mpg
Emissions: 221g/km
Kerb weight: 1450kg

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.



2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 BMW 130i. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 






 

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