Should you buy one?

The BMW M135 is undoubtedly a very capable, very fast hot hatchback, but it’s far from being the best option in its class. It takes itself a little too seriously, which we think defeats the point of the exercise. A hot hatchback should be fun. And this is about as fun as an evening class in accountancy.

It doesn’t sound particularly good, it isn’t particularly playful and it isn’t that engaging to drive. For maximum thrills, we recommend you opt for a new Volkswagen Golf R or, even better, a low-mileage used Hyundai i30 N. The Honda Civic Type R deserves a mention, too, even if the most basic version costs around £7,000 more than the cheapest M135.

At least the M135 shares some of the strengths as its larger siblings – namely its exceptional build quality and fabulous interior technology. We just wish BMW could have captured the essence of cars like the bonkers M2 and thundering M8 and injected it here. It’s a real missed opportunity.

What we like

Do you like things that are built well and work properly? Then you’ll love the M135. It’s screwed together with the same precision as a Naim hi-fi, and it works flawlessly no matter the conditions. We also love how simple its infotainment system is to use and, despite its rather sombre engine note, you can’t help but enjoy the straight-line speed.

What we don’t like

The M135’s biggest problem is that it lacks sparkle. Yes, it’s very fast in a straight line and utterly unflappable when you chuck it at a corner, but it’s about as charming as a dentist’s waiting room. If you’re looking for a hot hatchback with character, we guarantee you’ll be left cold by this BMW.

That’s surprising, because the MINI Cooper S (which shares most of its underpinnings with the 1 Series), is a more entertaining package. It’s more playful. However, that car is front wheel drive – and we reckon the four-wheel drive system fitted to the M135 saps a lot of the fun by tying the car into the tarmac with tighter precision.