BMW adds ‘Pure’ joy to M135i, M235i

BY CALLUM HUNTER | 7th Jul 2020

BMW Australia is preparing to expand its high-performance all-wheel-drive M135i and M235i Gran Coupe model lines with lower-priced ‘Pure’ versions arriving in showrooms later this quarter.

Priced from $63,990 and $67,990 plus on-road costs respectively, the new compact Pure twins are set $5000 cheaper than their equivalent full-fat range-toppers, but still carry the same performance credentials.

Compared to the top-flight M135i and M235i, the Pure variants forgo a panoramic glass roof, adaptive LED headlights, leather upholstery and Harman Kardon surround-sound system.

There is, however, no change to the powertrain, with the familiar 225kW/450Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine remaining under the bonnet, driving through an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and BMW’s xDrive AWD system.

Despite less equipment onboard, BMW says the new Pure twins have an equivalent kerb weight and therefore the same acceleration and fuel consumption benchmarks.

The hottest 1 Series hatch can complete the dash from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds, while the M-badged 2 Series GC is just 0.1s behind.

Fuel economy on the official combined cycle is 7.5 and 7.6 litres per 100km respectively.

Visually, there is nothing to distinguish the Pure variants from the regular models, right down to the same 19-inch wheel-and-tyre combination.

Standard equipment across the M-fettled range include light alloy wheels, M Sport brakes, M Sport steering wheel, electrically adjustable M Sport front seats (finished in Trigon cloth and Alcantara), a head-up display, dual-zone climate control and a ‘comfort access system’.

Driver-assist safety features include lane-departure warning, lane-change warning, approach-control warning with city-braking intervention, rear cross-traffic warning, rear collision prevention, speed-limit information, parking assistant with parking sensors, a rearview camera and reversing assistant.

The addition of the compact duo now expands the local M Pure line-up to seven members, alongside the more upmarket M340i xDrive Pure, M550i xDrive Pure, X2 M35i Pure, X5 M50i Pure and X6 M50i Pure.

For the first half of this year, BMW has sold 1356 examples of the 1 Series, marking a 9.5 per cent increase over the same period last year. It has also shifted 671 units of the still-fresh 2 Series Gran Coupe that launched in March.

2020 BMW 1 Series pricing*