2018 BMW M140i hot hatch drops price to $59,990

BMW has slashed the price of its potent M140i range-topper as part of a wider upgrade to the baby Beemer range.

The 2018 M140i will wear a new $59,990 price tag – $4910 less than the pre-facelift model – when it arrives in showrooms this September.

BMW’s repositioning of its hot hatch puts it closer to the updated Volkswagen Golf R, which will be priced at $55,490 when it lands in August. That said, the M140i is the only rear-wheel drive six-cylinder in the segment and is virtually without a direct competitor. It boasts significantly more grunt than the R, with 250kW/500Nm on board compared to the Golf’s 213kW/380Nm.

The M140i’s price drop brings it within $10,000 of the M Sport-equipped 125i at $49,990. The 125i has been the sales sweet spot of the 1 Series line-up so far this year. Reducing the jump between it and the M140i by a third could divert some interest to the top of the range.

Both variants gain little beyond new wheel and paint options and interior tweaks, with the headline addition being the iDrive6 infotainment system with an 8.8-inch touchscreen as found in the BMW 5 Series.

Performance and handling is untouched in both cars, with the M140i’s outputs remaining the same, from its 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six. Also carried over is the eight-speed automatic transmission and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.6secs.

Standard equipment in the M140i includes 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive M Suspension, adaptive LED headlights, leather upholstery, power-adjusted seats and Harman/Kardon loudspeaker system.

The upgrade resulted in more changes at the bottom end of the range where prices have increased by around $2000 for the entry level 118i and its 118d diesel counterpart, now priced at $39,990 and $43,990 respectively. The mid-spec 120i also goes up, by $3000, to $45,990.

These three models gain the iDrive6 infotainment but with a smaller screen. The 120i gets LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Interior enhancements have been made across the entire range and include an upgraded instrument cluster, gloss black centre console, new upholstery and stitching, and new chrome highlights on the electric window switches.

There is also a wider range of interior trim finishes including Pearl Chrome, while the Dakota leather upholstery, which is standard in the M140i, can now be ordered in a fine Cognac finish.

Two new premium exterior colours have been added to palette including Sunset Orange metallic and Seaside Blue for the non M Sport-equipped variants.