BMW 128ti Acceleration Test Suggests It's Faster than Golf 8 GTI Hot Hatch

The 1 Series is BMW's smallest and cheapest car, the gateway to the RWD brand. However, the car underwent a major change in 2019, becoming a front-wheel-drive hatchback, just like its main rivals. In theory, that's a bad thing when it comes to handling, but Bavarian engineers saw it as an opportunity to make a rival to the Golf GTI, which is like a household name in German car culture.

The 1er is also available as the M135i, which comes standard with xDrive and over 300 hp. Essentially, it's a Golf R adversary but recently got its butt kicked in a drag race by the latest Volkswagen. On the other hand, the cheaper 128ti could be more than a match for the Golf R.

Just as a reminder, this 5-door compact is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo making 261 hp (265 PS) and 295 lb-ft of torque (400 Nm). So it's got more punching power than a normal GTI. Of course, that means nothing if the powertrain isn't set up correctly, but this independent acceleration test proves the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint takes 6.1 seconds with help from the eight-speed Steptronic Sport auto. That's exactly what BMW claims it does.

We've looked at every Golf 8 GTI acceleration test possible, and they put the model at 6.2 to 6.4 seconds from 0 to 62 mph. So does this mean the 128ti is worth buying? Well, I'd certainly be tempted, as it's something that hasn't existed before. It doesn't look inferior to the GTI in any way, and you get access to nearly all of BMW's mainstream tech and design. However, it's also almost 10% more expensive.