BMW 128ti Gears Up to Challenge Golf GTI
BMW has introduced its latest front-wheel-drive offering- the 128ti which will rival the highly anticipated MK8 Volkswagen Golf.
VW Golf GTI is one of the most celebrated hot hatch nameplates of all time. Renowned for offering an elegant balance of performance and practicality, Golf GTI has inspired many car manufacturers to explore the sports hatchback segment.
As Volkswagen gets ready to introduce the next-gen MK8 Golf GTI, fellow German carmaker- BMW- has also unveiled its 128ti hatchback which will soon go around the legendary Nürburgring race track. It is obvious that the Bavarian carmaker has strategically positioned 128ti to rival GTI but BMW has gone to great lengths to even the playing field.
The 128ti is a mellowed down version of the BMW M135i xDrive and offers customers a more performance-focused surrogate to the 118i M Sport. Unlike the all-wheel-drive M135i, BMW 128ti gets a front-wheel-drive setup that features a Torsen limited-slip differential.
BMW is currently fine-tuning the upcoming hatchback which is in its final test phase but we expect the differential to offer exceptional handling characteristics. Unsurprisingly, MK8 Golf GTI will also get a trick electronic differential and the model will carry forward Volkswagen’s MQB platform which currently underpins the outgoing model.
The Wolfsburg-based company will introduce MK8 GTI sometime later this year but BMW 128ti will hit European markets in November. Both cars are powered by 2.0-liter turbocharged motors but the TwinPower engine in BMW 128ti produces 265 BHP of maximum power whereas MK8 GTI’s peak power output is rated at 242 BHP.
BMW 128ti is around 176 lbs (80 kilograms) lighter than the top of the range M135i xDrive variant and according to the company; the new hot hatch can accelerate to 62 MPH from a standstill in under 6.1 seconds. The 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged powerplant comes mated to BMW’s capable eight-speed Steptronic sport gearbox. Even equipped with its capable DSG gearbox, Volkswagen Golf GTI will take 6.3 seconds to make the same 0 to 62 MPH sprint.
Volkswagen GTI’s vehicle architecture coupled with the car’s DCC adaptive dampers offer a wide range of suspension settings. This gives customers the option of either riding in total comfort or re-configuring the hatchback’s suspension to a point where it becomes a track-only precision machine.
BMW 128ti has also been lowered by 10 mm as compared to standard 1 Series and gets BMW Performance Control that makes the car extremely nimble. The Munich-based company has enlisted its M sport suspension components to keep 128ti composed in the corners. Like the rest of BMW’s 1 Series lineup, the 128ti will not be coming stateside and the company’s 2-Series Gran Coupe is the closest alternative to the hot hatchback that customers can buy.
Photos: BMW