BMW brings back the “ti” badge which stands for (Turismo Internazionale) in the entry level of the brand, the 1 series with the new BMW 128 ti to mark out that it is a sportier model.
Unlike its predecessor, like the M 135i xDrive which made a little more power and was an all-wheel drive. the 128ti will be detuned for the to only 180 kW for the South African market and will only be offered in FWD (front-wheel drive). the 128ti is aimed to become the newest VW Golf 8 GTI rival.
Exterior
The 128 ti comes a bit more stylish with a mix tweaks from the new darker headlights and darker side mirrors, new sporty and aggressive body kit, blacked out kidney grille, red brake air inlets with red side skirts, red ti decals. The new 128 ti also gets a two-toned 18-inch M-light alloy wheels with optional Michelin Pilots Sport 4 tyres.
Interior
The interior of the new 128 ti is filled with a lot red accents from the red stripes on the seats, eed stitching all over the steering wheel, door panels, airbag cover, embroidered red “ti” logo in the central arm rest.
Powertain and Performance
The 128 ti borrows the same 2.0 Litre TwinPower-turbocharged petrol engine from its predecessor the 135i xDrive but this time it gets detuned to produce 195 kW (265 hp) at 4750-6500 rpm , mated to a standard Eight-speed Steptronic sport transmission delivering 400 Nm of torque sending all the power through the Torsen (LSD) limited slip differential to the front wheels.
BMW claims that he 128 ti as a combined fuel consumption of 6.4– 6.1 L / 100 km and sprints from 0-100 km/h in 6.1 sec with a top speed of 250 km/h.
Like in the 135i xDrive, the 128 ti also gets a standard red painted M Sport Braking System with a specially tuned M sport suspension lowered by 10 millimetres, stiffer springs, and anti-roll bars for good driving performance.
Pricing
The market launch for the new 128 ti is set to be in November 2020, but it is yet to be announced locally.
