BMW 3-series

Sachin Tendulkar launched this in India! That itself is enough for me to go bonkers over. But the excitement didn’t die when I got what I wanted;by the end of second day with the 3-Series I just didn’t want to return it. The 320d Sport Line is not the first of its kind at CarWale, but never after my early days in the industry have I felt the urge to just drop everything else for a few extra minutes with a car.

For years the 3-Series has been one of the highest-selling premium sedans in the world, and that certainly cannot be attributed to its looks or the kind of comfort it offers. It is undoubtedly the best handling of the lot, but there is more to the 3-Series that has made it a success over the last four decades. With the new one that BMW calls ‘the Ultimat3’, they are trying to fill the gaps without compromising on their pedigree.

The sixth-generation sedan looks like an evolution of its predecessors with some influence from its bigger siblings, specifically the 5-Series. The headlamps are now sleeker and extend all the way to the kidney grille making it look very aggressive – that is not necessarily a good thing. The version here is the 320d Sport Line and it does go well with the overall sporty appearance, but it looks unrulyon the Luxury Line. The bonnet has a prominent bulge at the centre. BMW first used this as a design element on the Z4 and is now integrating it on rest of their lineup to improve pedestrian impact safety. The front bumper is just a chiseled version of the predecessor, similarly all the creases including the waist and shoulder line are more prominent now.

The 3-Series has also grown in every direction; this is mainly evident when looked at from the sides. The additional 93mm length and 50mm extra wheelbase contribute their bit to the overall package – but let us come to that in a while. The 17-inch split-spoke alloywheels along with the sport badge on the front fender accentuate the overall design of this version. The tail however disappoints; it is too similar to that of the previous model and does feel out of place on the new car.

The insides are classic BMW. This Sport Line variant has swathes of black with matte red accents in the dashboard and contrasting red stitches for the leather upholstery. Despite the dark interiors it is easy to make out that the sedan has grown on the inside – the increase benefits the rear passenger the most and none of my vertically blessed team members had any issues back there. The sporty seats manage to hold you firmly in place even while you go screaming around corners. The iDrive is connected via a 16.5cm colour display with standard menu and control buttons. The 3-Series also has a hard drive that can be used to store maps and songs – this feature is not even a part of the competition’s options list or for that matter even in the vehicles one segment up. The rest of the features are standard in the segment including the parking sensors, seat adjustments with memory, sunblinds for the rear windows, keyless ignition etc.

Engine and transmission

The key attribute of most BMWs is that they offer an incredible driving experience – and it is no different with the 3-Series. The sedan is available in both petrol and diesel guise in various tunes, each capable of fulfilling all your whims on Indian roads. The 320d has a 2.0-litre diesel developing 184PSand a meaty 380Nm of torque; coupled with BMW’s new twin-scroll turbocharging it offers a very linear power delivery from the moment you hit the throttle. The engine is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission that is now present on almost all BMWS. What is disheartening though is the fact that the diesel Sport Line does not get shift paddles on the steering wheel and has to make do with the tiptronic function on the gear selector.

Look under the hood and you might notice that the engine sits entirely behind the front axle offering a near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution. This makes the bonnet extra-long. So long, in fact, that the overall size is not that of an entry-level premium car any more. No one apart from BMW with its fetish for the best handling possible would have bothered with this bit, especially for something that is available for a little more than Rs 30 lakh.

The Sport Line has fourdriving modes that can be activated by pressing the button next to the gear lever. By default the car will start in ‘Comfort’ mode. Select ‘Sport’ and throttle response becomes sharper, steering assist is reduced and hence feels more connected, gear changes are quicker and shift points move higher in the rev range. This is where the 3-Series feels like a true BMW with incredible handling. Of course there are electronic safety nets to stop over ambitious people from hurting themselves but they kick in later than expected, allowing you to remain on the edge of adhesion much longer than the competition would. The car also lets you change the setting of ESP - or in BMW’s words, Dynamic Stability Control, giving you more control under ideal conditions. For the brave of heart, the ‘Sport +’ mode switches off the ESP altogether.

There are a few other features to keep the green brigade at bay. The ECO PRO driving mode changes the accelerator mapping to deliver less power for a particular throttle input. The car upshifts quicker and delays downshifts, while the ECU limits usage of mechanical and electrical consumption by other systems. The engine start / stop function is also standard across all variants and the display guides the drivers with tips and advice to improve efficiency.

Overall the BMW 3-Series is an easy car to drive. Apart from the missing paddles, there are just a couple of other complaints about this one. It has limited ground clearance. It isn’t as low as the other performance sedan in the segment, the Audi S4, but every time you approach a big speed bump you end up clenching your buttocks – and that is not a very nice thing. Secondly, though we know it is too much to expect from a four-cylinder diesel engine, we really wish it made a nice noise when given the stick. It simply would have made the experience complete. However, this is the same complaint viewers had at Le Mans races when Audi fielded diesel LMP1s, and no one’s complaining now, so we imagine we’ll be the same after a while.

The tyres for this variant are Bridgestone Potenza run-flats like the ones on all other BMW models. It does limit the chances of you being stranded in some remote location due to punctures, but the ride is relatively harsh even on slight bumps–that is basically all the time on Indian roads.

It may sound like I don’t like the car too much, but truth is, on a smooth-surfaced, twisty road, there are very few cars I’d rather be in. Those stiff tyre sidewalls and choppy ride, the heavy steering and the feel of the unfortunately phallic shift lever as you snick up or down the ‘box all make you feel connected to what’s happening around you. This is a welcome change from the absolute insulation that cars of today tend to opt for, Audi S4 included. It imparts confidence and it also scares you in equal measure, giving you a shot of adrenalin and feeling of achievement that words aren’t quite enough to express. If only it had a better engine note… but it DOES have a six cylinder petrol engine option. Food for thought.

Though the 320d Sport Line looks like a proper performance sedan, it isn’t completely one. What it is in reality is a halfbreed. It is sporty and crisp, but it is also a diesel and lacks paddle shifts or any kind of sporty engine noise. This is not something that will make you want to go to a race track and drive till the last bit of tyre tread disappears, neither is it a car that lets you feel like a gentleman in a blacktie. And that is not really a bad thing. While a pure-breed performance car will certainly let you have more fun in those few unrestricted moments, this one will actually save your money, help you do all your duties and will make you smile even through the most boring of your daily chores. At Rs 36 lakh on-road Delhi at the time of publishing, we can’t think of too many cars that offer all that the 320d SportLine does at the price.