Ladies and gents, please welcome BMW’s pokiest production inline-four offering – the new X1 M35i xDrive. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot is good for 312bhp, making it the “most powerful four-cylinder unit from the latest generation of engines,” BMW very specifically says, although as far as we can work out, that’s the most we’ve ever seen as standard in a road-going car from the manufacturer.
There’s a catch, though, as that’s the figure for cars destined for the US and “other selected markets”. We in the UK and Europe will have to make do with 296bhp, although it seems unlikely the deficit will be noticeable. The 2.0-litre lump is enough to whisk the first-ever M’d-up X1 from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, onto the usual 155mph electronically limited top speed. Power goes to all wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox with an integrated mechanical limited-slip differential.
To give it the handling to match the pace, the X1 M35i features trick M dampers which combine active control with a passive frequency-selective system using additional valves for the rebound stroke. BMW says this setup “offers comfortable response when absorbing minor bumps in the road surface combined with sporty damper characteristics in dynamic driving situations”. New springs, meanwhile, drop the ride height by 15mm compared to regular X1s.
Hopefully making the X1 feel sportier still is a traction control system integrated with the engine management setup. So, you get far shorter signal paths, which BMW claims gives system inputs “up to 10 times faster”.
Behind the standard-fit 19-inch wheels (20-inch rims are optional if you fancy making the ride worse while increasing your tyre bills) are 385mm discs squeezed by four-piston callipers, while at the rear, there are 330mm rotors with floating callipers. ‘M Compound’ brakes, which are said to reduce unsprung mass while improving brake feel, are available on the options list.
The brakes are also applied in an interesting way. The X1 has an integrated braking system, which replaces the usual brake servo/booster and master cylinder arrangement with a compact single unit that provides braking pressure via an electronic actuator.
It needs to look suitably M-ish, of course, and on that front, there’s a new front apron with bigger air intakes, M-specific kidney grilles, side skirts, a new rear bumper and a quad-exit exhaust.
Inside, there are Alcantara-clad sports seats with blue contrast stitching, M-specific graphics on the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.7-inch infotainment screen, and a new M leather steering wheel with paddle shifters.
Want one? Prices start at £45,995.
Now read about the new BMW M5 Touring
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