Mercedes-Benz A250 vs BMW 128TI

What's the difference?

Hybrid is no longer a dirty word.

Australians have now embraced the semi-electrified powertrain in a big way, with the popularity of eponymous fuel-sipping Toyota hybrid models speaking for themselves.

But this sales-volume love has not extended to the tangled and often confusing world of plug-in hybrids, which puts Mercedes' latest offering in a bit of a tough spot.

The A 250 e is the late-arriving plug-in hybrid variant of the brand's popular A-Class range, and it offers some innovations which make living with an electrified car a lot more convenient.

With a tall asking price, though, is it a step too far into the electrified landscape, or a compelling option for Australians curious about electrifying their daily commute? We drove the A 250 e at its local launch to find out.

It wasn’t that long ago the notion of a front-wheel drive (FWD) BMW was unheard of, but along came the third-generation 1 Series five-door hatchback in September 2019.

The 'F40' 1 Series' predecessors were based on rear-wheel drive (RWD) platforms, as was every other model in BMW's long history – to that point.

Ironically, though, the F40 1 Series' performance flagship remains the all-wheel drive (AWD) M135i xDrive, but now it has a FWD counterpart, the Volkswagen Golf GTI-baiting 128ti.

Critically, this represents the first time since the late 1990s range of 3 Series Compact three-door hatchbacks that the ti, Turismo Internazionale, badge has been affixed to a BMW.

So, does the 128ti hot hatch live up to the ti lineage of sporty BMW small cars? And perhaps more importantly, does it prove a FWD BMW can be truly desirable? Read on to find out.