King_of_lion Posted February 27, 2021 Posted February 27, 2021 Until now, BMW has never really made a bona-fide hot hatchback. The magicians from Munich have given us a stream of fast and luxurious hatches such as the M135i, the M140i and more recently the M135i xDrive, all of which have been successful in their own specific ways. But never a car with the purity of purpose of a genuine, true-blue hot hatch. Best hot hatchbacks 2021 Step forwards the new 128ti. Powered not by a silky smooth six-cylinder engine but, instead, by a more prosaic 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged unit that’s normally found beneath the bonnet of a Mini Cooper, the 128ti represents a refreshing departure from BMW’s current penchant for making cars that are bigger, faster and heavier. In many ways it’s a back-to-basics type of car, one that contains a certain level of tech, yes, but not to the point where it defines the driving experience. It’s almost a car from yesteryear in that its main intention is to deliver maximum thrills to whoever is behind the wheel, and who cares if the ride is a bit fruity sometimes? As such, there isn’t a button you can press to make the suspension more comfortable if the road surface gets lumpy. Instead you just climb in, notice how well the M Sport seat clamps you in position, fire up and start driving. Other than a simple Sport button beside the gearlever, which alters – slightly – the response from the throttle, gearbox and steering, you can’t mess with the 128ti’s personality once you’ve started driving it, so it’s a take-it-or-leave-it kind of car in this respect. In an era of ever-increasing digital sophistication and endless electronic adjustability, this makes the 128ti either an unusually bold and confident move on BMW’s behalf, or a complete misfit in 2021. To decide which, we’ve lined it up beside the very latest version of the original hot hatchback, the car that started it all 45 years ago: the Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8. Before we get into our test, here are some facts and figures, just so we know where both cars are coming from financially, dynamically, technologically and so on. Separating them requires a deep dive into their respective spec lists. If you then apply a few desirable options – as both manufacturers have in the case of our test cars – the VW spirals to a considerable £42,239 as tested, whereas the BMW remains at £35,480 and still has just about everything you could wish for. This includes BMW’s excellent £1,500 Technology Pack, which adds adaptive LED lights, a head-up display, a discreet rear spoiler and a reversing camera, some of which cost extra on the VW. SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to Auto Express magazine Get the best of Auto Express 6 weeks for just £1 plus a free gift6 weeks for just £1 plus a free gift SIGN UP Sign up for the latest Auto Express news and reviews Stay in the know with the latest news, reviews and more Sign Up Related Videos From Dennis Publishing Volkswagen Golf GTI 2013 review - Auto Express video playing Volkswagen Golf GTI at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show -... VW Golf GTI VS VW Golf GTD review - Auto Express Volkswagen Golf R Cabrio - Auto Express New Volkswagen Golf review - Auto Express GENEVA 2012 - VW Golf GTi Cabriolet - Auto Express Crucially, the BMW also costs less than the VW to lease. With a deposit of £2,500 and a yearly limit of 8,000 miles, over 48 months the 128ti will cost you £281 a month, while the GTI is £287. One option the VW benefits from, and which the BMW categorically does not, however, is an electronically adjustable chassis. When VW introduced the Mk8 Golf GTI last year, it was largely similar to the Mk7 dynamically, except for one key element, said the engineers: it had a clever new Dynamic Chassis Control system. New Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport 45 launched This is a £785 option, true, but it allows you to do precisely what BMW’s engineers chose not to allow you to do in the 128ti: to adjust the car’s dynamic personality on the move by pressing some buttons. In this case the range of adjustability in the GTI is spectacular, with no fewer than 15 different damper settings to choose from when you select Individual within the drive modes. Advertisement Advertisement - Article continues below So, right there, you can see the difference between the way a contemporary Golf GTI is meant to drive, compared with the car that wants to steal the icon’s crown. Except, in reality, they turn out to be remarkably similar to one another on the move, and they’re both very good, even if you can ultimately adjust the VW to be more comfortable, if and when required. Initially the BMW feels the more sporting of the two, with beefier front seats, a thicker steering wheel, plus a more flamboyant design theme inside and out. The “ti” decals on its flanks might be a touch dubious, but all the other styling elements add a dose of visual magic. Somehow the ti manages to look smaller and more agile than any other 1 Series – and the latest Golf GTI too.
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