Hot hatches have slowly morphed and swollen into hot SUVs. There are still a few noteworthy ones however; Golf GTi, Hyundai I30N, Mercedes-AMG A45, Renault Megane Trophy and BMW’s M135i.
Over the years, the BMW has undergone the most changes of the lot. The 3.0-liter engine was chucked in favor of a smaller, far less charismatic 2.0-liter and the rear-wheel drive system, which was one limited slip differential away from wagging the tail, was axed for a xDrive all-wheel drive system. Literally, everything that made the M135 unique was scooped out.
Does the latest facelift have any chance of changing that? On paper, it doesn’t seem to be the case although vehicles sold in Europe will make 296hp while models sold in the U.S. will unlock the full 312hp. That’s…