Having been interested in the concept of a powerful, sporting rear-wheel drive hatchback for a long while, I thought you may be interested to hear my opinions of this new uber-hatch from BMW, following almost a year of ownership.

For years, us hot hatch fans have been force-fed a diet of front-wheel drive cars.
Now however, years after the Lotus Talbot Sunbeam, BMW have had the guts to bring to the masses a compact, powerful (265bhp), rear-drive hatchback. A car with a prestige badge, silky straight-six power, 50/50 weight distribution, uncorrupted steering, a practical 4-seat arrangement, a decent boot, and the usual Bavarian build quality and after sales service.

There are of course, downsides to this seemingly perfect offering. There is the oft-quoted lack of rear space, and the extortionate new price tag. However, I would argue against these points.

Firstly, rear passenger seat space is really not a priority to a young professional couple, or successful singletons (the type of people who’d be interested in a car like this). Secondly, there is no doubt that £26,515 for a new 130i M-Sport is too expensive. However, I’ve seen nearly new 130i M-Sports for sale on BMW’s own website for around £20k. That’s Golf GTI money¦..On the one hand, a 197Bhp front-drive hatch, on the other, a rear-drive, 265Bhp, prestige hatch equipped with one of the world’s great engines…

Right, let’s cut to the driving experience. Insert the key into the dash, dip the clutch, and press that enticing, glowing starter button...WOW, what a noise! This thing sounds absolutely glorious. If you blip the accelerator you’re treated to a bassy rumble from the engine bay, and a raspy exhaust note. The noise is leagues above the anodyne clatter emitted by a MK5 GTI when you first start it up.

All the major controls fall perfectly to hand, and the seating and steering can be adjusted in all directions, so you’re guaranteed to be able to find the perfect driving position. The clutch pedal has a light, but positive action, and the short-throw gear shift feels fantastically snickety and mechanical.

When you slot first gear and lift the clutch, you’ll notice the relatively high biting point. This makes for quicker gear changing when out on the road. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this gear change is one of the best I’ve ever experienced on any BMW. My experience suggests that while the typical BMW gear change is very smooth, the throw is almost always over-long. However, the 130’s is short, direct, positive, and full of feel.

The chassis also feels well sorted. Understeer is never an issue at sensible speeds, and oversteer is readily available should you wish to play. Switch out stage 1 traction control by one press of the DTC button, and you can get the tail moving, look like a driving hero, and still have the security of the electronic safety net should things get a bit out of hand. Hold the DTC button down for 2 seconds and you can completely disable traction control. In the current wintry conditions, that means huge, lurid slides, and endless cornering options.

Then there’s the engine. Boy what an engine! It really sings. It revs all the way to 7000rpm, and takes on a gritty, hard edged, six cylinder wail as it makes its way up the rev-range. Other traffic can be dispatched with disdain, from almost any revs, in any gear. It’s a smooth engine when you want it to be and an animalistic one when you’re on a charge.

Of course, none of this would be any use if the anchors weren’t up to the job. Thankfully, I can report that BMW has equipped the car with dinner-plate sized brakes (330mm front, 300mm rear) which are full of feel and power. Additionally, the pedal layout is perfect for heel and toeing. I always heel and toe on the down changes, just to hear that wonderful engine blip down through the gears!

For those of you who’ve craved this sort of hot hatch for a long time, you’re in for a treat. It may not be possessed with the rawness of something like a Civic Type R, but it is several classes up in terms of overall depth of quality.

The engine is one of the greats, the chassis is set up for fun, and uniquely in the hot-hatch class, the power is driving the correct wheels, making it in my view, the undisputed driver’s hot hatch of choice.