SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.

Editor's note: SA Roadtests accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers in order to provide editorial reviews. All vehicle reviews are conducted on our turf and on our terms.

For out-of-province vehicle launch features however, travel costs are covered by the manufacturer concerned. This is common in the motor industry, as it's more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists.

Judgments and opinions expressed on this site are our own. We do not accept paid editorial content or ads of any kind.

Fun: 2020 BMW F40, M135i X-Drive

Keeps the Faith

Pics by BMW-presse
Posted: July 12, 2020

The numbers
Base price incl. VAT and carbon dioxide tax: R773 788
Engine: 1998 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder with twin-scroll turbocharger
Power: 225 kW between 4500 and 6250 rpm
Torque: 450 Nm between 1750 and 4500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 4.8 seconds
Maximum: 250 km/h (governed)
Real life fuel consumption: About 9.2 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 380 – 1200 litres
Ground clearance: 153 mm                                                                                     Maximum towing mass: Not rated
Turning circle: 11.4 metres
Warranty: Two years, unlimited km
Maintenance plan: Five years / 100 000 km

Let’s get something straight: BMW’s M135i for 2020 is not a tail wagger. Not even if you engage Sport mode, select DTC or switch off DSC.

One-series cars are native front-wheel drivers and X-Drive awd is, in this instance, via a Torsen differential rather than BMW’s usual electronically actuated clutch pack. Even though it splits drive as needed for prevailing circumstances, the maximum rearward allocation is 50 percent. So there is no rear-wheel bias as on the bigger cars. Sorry about that; you’ll need to adjust, but it’ll be worth it.

This one uses the most powerful version of BMW’s two-litre, B48 engine featuring a reinforced crankshaft with larger main bearings and new pistons with a lower, 9.5:1, compression ratio. This permits more boost pressure from a larger turbocharger that blows compressed air through a reworked intake tract.

Maximum torque of 450 Nm is delivered seamlessly from 1750 rpm to 4500. Power peaks at 5000 revs and keeps on delivering 225 kilowatts all the way up to 6250. In other words, you put the hammer down just above idle and it soars like Odin’s warhorse all the way to redline.

BMW’s ARB (Aktuator Radschlupfbegrenzung or actuator wheel slip limitation), renders the car’s handling more neutral. That and an electronic limited-slip differential work together to keep things controlled; but there’s still some power-on torque steer. Most manufacturers tune this out with electronic wizardry, but BMW chose to leave it be. For now. Enjoy it while you can.

The car’s mode selector is simpler than those on more exotic BMWs; just EcoPro, Comfort and Sport. This mode offers Individual calibrations although the only changes you could make would be to soften responses.

It also provides a sneaky alternative to manual override. Because it defaults to a lower gear and higher revs, a stab on the accelerator initiates a downshift for the next corner. Relaxing pressure causes upshifts for the following straight. Repeat as needed.

Because it’s an M-car, certain standard features remain non-negotiable - M Sport brakes, suspension and steering; eight-speed Sports automatic transmission; Sport seats in combination cloth and Sensatec; M aerodynamic kit and rear spoiler; LED headlights; automatic air conditioner with microfilter and 18” alloy wheels with 225/40 tyres. 

Those go together with six airbags, seatbelts with crash sensors and ventilated disc brakes front and rear with more safety acronyms than you can remember. But that’s not all. Yet more safety kit and a host of other options can be added to make your three- to five years with the M-car more personal and comfortable.

Practicalities: The cargo bay loads at a height of 70cm over an 8cm lip. There’s a light, four lashing rings, two bag hooks and a floor panel that folds up to reveal a 15cm cavity. The usual pump kit, first aid bag and basic tools live there but there’s still lots of space for your laptop or other small valuables.

The seatback collapses 60:40 via release catches accessible from behind. Back seat passengers should find adequate headroom but knee- and foot space are tight, while those with big feet might struggle to get in and out. The footwells are quite deep.

Cockpit controls are familiar, possibly a little gimmicky in the endless quest for “cool”, but easy enough to navigate. Seats are supportive, steering response is quick and accurate and the view outward is relatively uncluttered. The car is a good “fit”; compact enough to feel like an extension of oneself but sufficiently spacious for comfort.

Plain or loaded, this littlest M-car is pure fun; it’s a bit less “civilised” than an M340i perhaps, but that just adds to its charm. And at about two-thirds the price, with little loss in performance, this one keeps the faith.


Test unit from BMWSA press fleet 

 What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.