BMW M135i vs Hyundai I30

What's the difference?

To answer the question of whether it matters that the new 1 Series is no longer rear-wheel drive, I say no it doesn’t. It may not be as romantic on the absolute limit, but it is better in every measurable way, and still feels distinctly BMW despite moving to the conventional layout of its rivals. 

Be sure to check out Mal’s video review from the 1 Series launch last December:

The updated Hyundai i30 N Line doesn’t look like or perform like a base model.

You really do get bang for your buck here with its features. It’s a good-looking hatch that’s fun to drive in the city or open road and while the multimedia system is basic and occupants will be squished in the rear row, everything else is a big plus.

Yes, that kidney grille is rather large. If you want everyone to know you drive a BMW, you’ll love it. If not, get used to it. The X7, recent 7 Series update and upcoming 4 Series suggest they’re only going to get bigger. 

Nose aside, the 1 Series hatch has always had a distinctive, long-bonnet profile, which has generally been attributed to the rear-drive layout. Despite the move to a transverse engine, the new one is actually very close in proportions when compared side by side.

It’s just 5mm shorter in overall length and 13mm taller, with body width being the most notable change at 34mm wider. 

The key difference is that the front and rear wheels have been moved further back into the body, because of said engine layout change, and to make more back seat space in the rear.

Surprisingly for a model aimed at a younger demographic, the new 1 Series interior design isn’t quite the same step forward as the recent G20 3 Series.

It’s a cut above the X1 and X2 SUVS the new 1 Series shares its underpinnings with in terms of the shapes used, but is still classic understated BMW. 

However its headline act is the Live Cockpit driver display on both models, which gives you fully digital instrumentation and replaces traditional analogue gauges once and for all.

The design memo seems to be to make the i30 N Line look sportier and more purposeful.

They've nailed the design. The i30 is a good-looking hatch that looks like it has European styling.

The reshaped grille features new air intake vents, and stylish V-shaped daytime running lights. The rest of the body looks sharply dressed with new side skirts, reshaped bumper, black side mirrors, dual exhausts and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The cabin has been refreshed with a black headliner, upgraded leather and suede upholstery with contrasting red stitching and an N Line steering wheel and leather gear shifter.

The dashboard features new materials and additional soft touchpoints that make the interior feel like it's not a base model at all.

With my modest 172 cm height, I never had any trouble with the old model, but the new 1 Series is a bit more more spacious by all the important measures.

The back seat base and backrest are a bit flat though, which is probably to help the backrest fold almost flat, but probably not very supportive during hard cornering.

There's also no centre armrest in the back or cup holders, but you do get bottle holders in the doors.

You also get two ISOFIX child seat mounts and there’s two USB-C charge points in the back of the centre console, but there's no directional air vents unless you opt for the dual-zone climate control that comes standard with the M135i. 

The boot has grown by 20-litres to a pretty impressive 380 litres VDA which includes a very useful cavity under the floor instead of a spare tyre. An inflation kit is there for those duties. With the back seat folded flat, boot space expands to 1200 litres VDA. 

Like most hatches, the front row of the i30 benefits the most when it comes to leg- and headroom. Taller passengers will be most comfortable up front as the rear row doesn't offer all that much legroom. It's squishy behind my driving position and I'm only 168cm tall!

Access however is decent for both rows because of the wide door apertures, but it's a low car to get in and out of because of the 140mm ground clearance. Expect a couple of grunts after a gym session.

The seats in both rows are fairly well-padded and offer the most comfort on shorter journeys. Even with the new powered lumbar support on the drivers seat, fatigue can set in quickly on a longer trip.

Individual storage is excellent throughout the car with a large glovebox that can hold a thick manual, middle console, phone tray, four cupholders, a drink bottle holder in each door, two net map pockets and even a sunglasses holder!

Other than the Kia Cerato, the i30 has one of the largest boots compared to its rivals, at 395L, and it’s enough for road trips and a decent grocery haul. The taller boot lip means you can stack items too but you don’t get a spare wheel in this model, just a tyre mobility kit. The base model also doesn’t get a powered tailgate, but the lid is not heavy at all to operate.

The new digital instrument cluster looks great but the multimedia system is basic and there’s no satellite navigation, so you're reliant on the phone mirroring apps but these maintain a strong connection. The radio is a hit or miss but that’s typical for the grade level.

Charging options are great for a base model with a single USB-A port, three USB-C ports and 12-volt sockets, and a wireless charging pad to choose from.

There are two models for the 'regular' i30 and we’re testing the base model, the N Line. Its new price point of $36,000, plus on-road costs, means it's $8940 more expensive than the most affordable rival, the Kia Cerato hatch.

The Mazda 3 Pure hatch is the next at $30,470 and then comes the Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport at $32,110.

However, the base models differ greatly in terms of standard features and the updated i30 N Line delivers upgraded leather and suede upholstery as opposed to the standard cloth. There are now two-USB-C ports in the rear, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that comes standard.

The driver also gets extendable under-thigh and powered lumbar supports to increase comfort.

Key features include wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing LED headlights. Anyone familiar with base models might know that a lot of those items are not standard features and it’s nice that you don’t have to go up a grade level or two to get them in the new i30 N Line, although you are paying more in the first place.

Other standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, dual-zone climate control, a USB-A port, three USB-C ports, three 12-volt sockets, a wireless charging pad, digital radio and a six-speaker sound system.

Both cars use versions of the three and four cylinder petrol engines from before, with the popularity of automatics leaving the previous manual option consigned to history.  The 118i’s 1.5-litre turbo three cylinder now produces 103kW/220Nm, with max torque available all the way from 1480-4200rpm. The 118i now uses the seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, as seen on Mini models that use the same engine. 

The M135i’s 2.0-litre turbo has been tweaked to take the place of the six-cylinder M140i from the last model and now produces 225kW/450Nm, with max torque available all the way from 1750-4500rpm. Its auto remains a torque converter though, but now the transverse-mounted unit also shared with Mini models with the same engine and splitting drive to all four wheels via the xDrive system for the first time. The drive split is constantly variable, but the rear bias tops out at 50 per cent and the only limited slip diff is an electric unit on the front axle.

The updated i30 N Line has a new mild-hybrid powertrain that features a 1.5-litre 7 four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and combines to produce 117kW and 253Nm of torque. This new combo means it has higher outputs than its nearest rivals and you get three drive modes, including Sport which makes those outputs feel even more prevalent.

Like its rivals, the i30 N Line is a front-wheel-drive, but it has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which can sometimes feel like it's confused in stop/start traffic.

Official combined fuel consumption is a decent 5.9L/100km with the 118i, but the M135i steps up to 7.5L/100km) 2.0 litre four in the m135i. Both engines require premium unleaded. 

Fuel tank sizes vary across the two models also, with the 118i measuring 42 litres and the M135i managing 50 litres, despite its need to package rear drive components somewhere under there also. 

This results in a decent theoretical range between fills of 711km for the 118i and 666km for the M135i. 

The new engine coasts in neutral when you’re not accelerating to improve efficiency and it works for that purpose as my real-world usage of 6.3L/100km isn't too far off the official combined fuel cycle figure of 5.6L.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 50L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 893km, which is downright respectable.

For a brand with a marketing slogan of pure driving pleasure, this is the important part, particularly given the new 1 Series has lost its rear wheel drive USP. 

Why do some of us love rear wheel drive? It tends to be more fun when you're driving on the limit, and generally makes for nicer steering because you're only using the front wheels to turn corners.

So how does the new 1 Series drive? That depends on which version. 

The 118i is quite a nice package really. It rides a bit more gently than what I remember in the A-Class and generally feels more like a premium product. It also feels a step ahead of the 2 Series Active Tourer it shares its underpinnings with, which is a good thing.

The three-cylinder engine is quite smooth for a fundamentally unbalanced triple, and it makes enough power to get you out of trouble. 

Do you miss rear wheel drive? Not really, as you can only tell the difference when you're going real fast, which let's face it, is not somewhere 118i drivers are likely to go very often. 

The M135i is a vastly different beast, as you'd expect. Aside from being real quick, it's that much tighter everywhere, but still definitely on the more comfortable side than what we expect the future full house M version to be.

The continuously variable xDrive all-wheel drive system does a great job of putting its power down, but the rear bias maxes out at 50 per cent, which is probably spot on for chasing lap times, but means you miss out on the tailiness of the old one altogether. 

So it’s not as classically fun as the old M140i, but it’s easily faster, and that's what will probably matter most to most buyers. 

The new powertrain is impressively punchy and you almost feel like you’re driving a hot hatch when you hit the open road because it’s effortless to keep up and overtake when necessary. 

The steering is firmer than what you’d expect and that makes the car feel heavier than what it is. Cornering is great – barely any roll – but the suspension is not finely tuned, especially for regional roads. But the overall feel is sporty, so it’s forgivable. 

At lower speeds, the cabin is delightfully quiet and although the exhausts are thrumming with noise, you don’t really hear it! It’s only once you get on the open road that the road noise creeps up but you can hold a convo without raising your voice, so that’s still good.

The i30 is pretty low to the ground and that makes it easy to scrape the bottom of it, especially when you have a full car load, so take ramps and bumps at a slight angle.

Hatches are always the best for parking because you can park ‘em anywhere! The i30 N Line has front and rear parking sensors and a decent reversing camera, so it’s extra easy.

The i30 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2017 and features seven airbags but, like its rivals, it doesn’t have a front centre airbag yet. 

Safety features includes items which are often at cost extras for a base model, like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Other standard items include driver attention warning, safe exit warning, rear occupant alert, tyre pressure monitoring, DRLs, lane departure alert, lane-keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera system as well as front and rear sensors.

The lane keeping aid and traffic sign recognition tech are a bit intrusive for daily driving but easy enough to adjust if need be.

The i30 model has two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tethers but two seats will fit best.

AEB with forward collision warning is standard but ANCAP does not stipulate it's operational km/h range.

BMW is yet to step up to the five year warranty offered by most mainstream brands and now Mercedes-Benz and Genesis, continuing with the three year/unlimited coverage matched by Audi. 

As always, BMW describes the service intervals as condition based, and the car will alert the driver when a service is due. This will occur at least every 12 months though, but individual intervals will vary based on how the car is driven. 

This can all be bundled into five year/80,000km service packs though, with the Basic pack costing $1465, but the Plus pack adds brake pad and disc replacement to regular fluids and consumables for $3790. Assuming 12 month intervals, these prices are about average for a premium branded product. 

Hyundai offers the i30 with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is a normal term for the class and you can pre-purchase three-, four- or five-years worth for servicing and the five-year option cost $1795, which is competitive. 

Servicing intervals are okay at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.