THE NEW BMW 3 SERIESWhy the new 320d is the benchmark for performance, dynamism and refinement

BEHIND THE WHEELON THE ROAD

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‘BEST CAR IN THE REAL WORLD’?

Est. 1895 | autocar.co.uk | 15 May 2019

OUR OVERALL VERDICT: THE DEFAULT AFFORDABLE EXECUTIVE OPTION

“Practicality and quality enhanced”“Outstanding driver appeal”

A serious case for plug-in hybrids

330e FIRST DRIVE

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R O A D T E S Tven BMW probably didn’t anticipate just how radically the 3 Series would change

its fortunes. In the 44 years since the original ‘E21’ replaced the dainty 02 Series, more than 15 million Threes have been sold across seven model generations. Even in a global market increasingly populated by SUVs and crossovers, only the larger 5 Series accounted for more of BMW’s sales in 2018 – and by a mere 0.8% at that. Since its 1975 introduction, the 3 Series has not only become the Munich-based manufacturer’s meat and potatoes but also the benchmark by which all other contenders in the compact executive class are measured in so many ways.

Such immense, genre-defining success inevitably means the weight of expectation lays heavy on the new generation’s shoulders. Not only does this 3 Series have to be demonstrably better than its rivals, there must also be a qualitative dynamic improvement over the standards of its immediate predecessor – considered ‘soft’ by a great many BMW devotees.

This new ‘G20’ model certainly has its work cut out, then: when this magazine road tested the ‘F30’ 3 Series back in 2012, the result was a full five-star rating. It goes without saying that we don’t award such endorsements casually, but it was the F30’s class-leading blend of economy and performance, impressive handling and stylish, practical interior that saw it earn its stripes.

So, does this new G20 model better its rivals in quite the same fashion? Our £38,205 320d M Sport’s rivals have never been more competitive. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is sharper to drive and more luxurious than it’s ever been; and a recently refreshed Jaguar XE has staked its claim to the title of standout driver’s car within the segment, after the Alfa Romeo Giulia shook things up a few years ago.

DES IGN AND ENG INEERING

AAAABIn a similar vein to the X5 and the recently introduced X7, BMW’s designers have taken the 3 Series’ image in a bold new direction – one that might not carry the same delicate sense of everyman appeal that has characterised many of its predecessors.

The car’s classic three-box profile is still present and correct, and despite the fact that some of our testers detected a whiff of Lexus about the styling detail, you couldn’t fail to identify it as anything other than a BMW. But the G20 3 Series is a larger, wider and taller car than the F30 that preceded it: something that may just put off those who value an abiding sense of compactness about cars of its ilk. At 4.7 metres nose to tail, it’s now 85mm longer than its forebear, and just 66mm shorter than the influential ‘E39’ 5 Series. A wheelbase that has been extended by 41mm, however, should pay dividends in

BMW 320d

The distinctive hockey-stick rear light signature has been carried over from the previous 3 Series. The brake lights themselves are LED as standard across the range.

Double-spoke-style 18in alloy wheels come as standard on M Sport variants of the 3 Series. These can be swapped out for optional 19in alloys for £750.

Dual tailpipes lend themselves nicely to the 3 Series’ identity as one of the more athletic contenders in the segment. These are a suitably girthy 90mm in diameter.

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The 3 Series story started 44 years ago

terms of rear passenger space. Despite this increase in size, the

new 3 Series is up to 55kg lighter than the F30, being based on Munich’s aluminium-rich ‘cluster architecture’ platform. BMW claims a 1455kg kerb weight for the 320d in automatic form; Millbrook’s scales put our generously optioned M Sport test car at 1639kg, with that weight not only spread very evenly front to rear, but from corner to corner as well.

Significant chassis upgrades have been implemented to ensure the 3 Series retains its dynamic edge. Its front and rear tracks have been widened, and negative camber angle for the front wheels has been increased. Its body is stiffer, and the introduction of new ‘lift-related’ dampers gave BMW’s engineers even greater scope to further hone the Three’s body control and ride.

Most of the engine variants available are either 2.0-litre petrol or diesel units, with the 261bhp six-cylinder 330d crowning the diesel line-up. Our 320d’s four-pot develops 188bhp at 4000rpm and some 295lb ft of torque – just like its predecessor did – delivered to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. That TwinPower Turbo diesel engine now features multi-stage sequential turbocharging as opposed to twin-scroll parallel ◊

ENG INES POWER PR ICE320i SE 181bhp £32,445330i Sport 255bhp £37,665318d SE 148bhp £32,455320d SE 188bhp £33,615320d xDrive SE 188bhp £36,805330d Sport 261bhp £39,945

TRANSMISS IONS6-spd manual 8-spd automatic £1550-£1690(standard fit: 320i, 330i, 320d xDrive, 330d)

Although it is likely to spread both upwards and downwards at a later date, BMW’s 3 Series range starts for the moment with 320i and 318d priced within a tenner of one another. Trim levels open up at SE and progress through Sport and M Sport strata, with BMW having elected to drop the Luxury trim level it offered previously. If you want to avoid run-flat tyres, meanwhile, you should either stick with a low-end SE or a high-end 330i or 330d M Sport with optional high-performance rubber.

ROAD TEST

No 5422

Can Munich’s seventh-generation 3 Series reclaim compact executive class honours?

Price £38,205 Power 188bhp Torque 295lb ft 0-60mph 6.9sec 30-70mph in fourth 7.5sec Fuel economy 47.4mpg CO2 emissions 112g/km 70-0mph 46.2m

M SPORT AUTOMODEL TESTED

Range at a glance

We don’t like

We like Remarkable and truly exceptional combination of performance, economy and refinement That it feels like a proper, keen-handling sports saloon again, and has outstanding driver appeal

On passive M Sport suspension, the ride can get choppy, albeit only on bad surfaces That it’s grown more in the past two model overhauls than it did in the first five. Let’s have smaller next time please, BMW

Discreet M badges aft of the front wheels and a slightly more aggressive bodykit are further visual signifiers that our 320d is the range-topping M Sport variant.

R O A D T E S T

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As far as graphical sophistication and fluidity is concerned, it seems fair to say that BMW now leads the class. Only the infotainment systems in the newest Audi models (which have yet to find their way into the A4) really give BMW’s Operating System 7.0 a run for its money in terms of visual wow factor. The car’s digital instrument cluster isn’t quite as neat-looking, but is still clear and easy to read.

Satellite navigation, DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity are included as standard – all of which can be accessed easily via the rotary dial or the 8.8in touchscreen, the latter increasing to 10.25in in size with BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional option (standard on M Sport cars).

Apple CarPlay preparation is also included as standard, although rather controversially this service is only available free of charge for the first year of ownership. Once that year is up, you’ll need to pay an annual subscription fee to continue being able to use it.

The digital instrument cluster is easy enough to read but could do with more configurability. The hexagonal dials are a bit odd-looking and oddly graded too.

The £1700 Premium Package adds features including an electric glass sunroof. Brightens up the cabin nicely, and doesn’t lead to a great shortage of head room.

Our test car’s gear selector sat more comfortably in the palm than the pointier glass one that’s made its way into the likes of the X5 and 8 Series.

∆ turbocharging in an attempt to improve response and efficiency.

Four-wheel drive is available for the 320d, while the forthcoming M340i performance model will employ BMW’s xDrive system as standard. Variable-ratio power steering features as a function of M Sport trim, while fully adaptive dampers are an option (although our test car didn’t have them).

INTER IOR

AAAABEven if you were to blank out the iconic blue-and-white roundel on the 3 Series’ characteristically thick-rimmed steering wheel, it’s unlikely you’d identify this cabin as belonging to anything other than a BMW.

The architectural relationship to

Munich’s wider contemporary model offering is clear: a high-resolution central display still sits atop two central air vents, which in turn straddle a bank of buttons for the HVAC and media systems.

The centre console, meanwhile, houses the gearshifter, drive mode selection switches (now individual ones rather than a toggle) and rotary dial controller for the infotainment suite. And while the 3 Series may not feature quite the same level of glossy piano-black or textured metallic panelling as you’d find in an 8 Series or an X5, feeling short-changed in terms of both perceived and real quality seems an unlikely eventuality. This rings particularly true when you compare the 3 Series with its closest rivals:

it’s simply leagues ahead of an Alfa Romeo Giulia, and only the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 offer comparably impressive material fit and finish. It’s a smart cabin, this, in both a visual and tactile sense.

The driving position is typically spot on. Our test car came equipped with the £1700 Premium Package, which introduces electronic adjustability and additional lumbar support to the already comfortable front sports seats. Thus equipped, the task of finding that Goldilocks-zone seating position between pedals and steering wheel is dispatched with a few prods of a switch.

As for space in the back, the trusty road test tape measure put typical rear leg room at 780mm. That’s still less than is offered by the C-Class,

but the BMW trumps the Benz as far as head room is concerned. In any case, there’s more than enough space here to comfortably accommodate two taller adults – though squeezing three across the rear bench is an undertaking best reserved for shorter hops. A 480-litre boot is par for the course. Both the A4 and the C-Class offer the same amount, as does the previous F30 3 Series.

PERFORMANCE

AAAAABMW’s sequential turbocharging makeover for the 320d’s four-cylinder engine has yielded improvements to the car’s performance almost across the board. When you consider that the outgoing F30-generation 320d remained such a competitive act on ◊

Brake pedal is offset further from the seat’s centre line than in some saloons, but not problematically so. Steering column has BMW’s habitual generosity of adjustment range.

HEADLIGHTS Adaptive LED headlights as standard, with BMW’s laserlight units on the options list. Conditions afforded no opportunity to test.

PARKING

DIMENS IONS

Light upholstery might be a touch more difficult to keep clean, but it lends the 3 Series a nice airy cabin ambience.

While not exactly cavernous, the rear bench is unlikely to draw any complaints regarding a shortage of space from taller passengers.

Typical leg room 780mm

Height 430-500mm

Width 950-1380mm

Length 1000-1820mm

The rear seats can be collapsed to liberate more space from the 480-litre boot. The aperture is wide enough to load larger items with little bother.

2851mmKerb weight: 1455kg

4709mm

1435mm

799mm 1059mm

1150mm max

780mm

920m

m

980m

m m

ax

480 litres

0.23

WHEEL AND PEDALALIGNMENT

Weights and measures

Multimedia system AAAAC

2070mm (with mirrors)

3630mm

Typical parking space width (2400mm)Typical garage height

1650mm

210mm

80mm

Centre

110mph

25.1s

20s10s0

30mph 40mph 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph

2.4s 3.6s 9.2s5.1s 6.9s 19.8s12.0s 15.5s

52.4m26.9m9.7m30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0

20m10m 40m 50m30m0

110mph

28.6s

20s10s0

30mph 40mph 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph

3.5s 4.8s 10.8s6.3s 8.4s 22.2s14.0s 17.7s

30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0

46.2m23.3m8.5m20m10m 40m30m0

Track notesR O A D T E S T

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performance to begin to over-rotate the driven axle in the lower gears and brings the car’s handling, vividly but benignly, to life.

Don’t worry for a second that modern electronic driving nannies or ever-increasing tyre sizes have drained the fun out of what’s arguably the most important BMW of them all, then. Here, it’s thoroughly present and correct – and as convincing a selling point as ever.

COMFORT AND ISOLATION

AAAACThere’s a little bit of compromise to report of the 320d here. On lowered, stiffened M Sport suspension and run-flat tyres, the car’s ride is certainly insistent – and, at times, a bit animated. It doesn’t often fidget for long or become too vertically excited, even over motorway expansion joints; and only the sharpest of lumps and edges elicit a noticeable level of coarseness from

it. But it’s notably short of being the equal of a Jaguar XE or a well-equipped Mercedes C-Class for rolling comfort.

The ride is quiet and settled on average motorway and A-road surfaces, and allows you to relax on a long-distance cruise readily. With acoustic double-glazed glass as standard, wind noise isolation is impressive too. Discreet but effective lane keeping, active cruise control and speed limit assist systems come as part of BMW’s Driving Assistant Professional option. It’s worth having if you’re a high-mileage driver, particularly since you can turn the sensitivity levels of those systems up and down to suit your personal taste.

Take to a choppier B-road, though, and while the car remains poised and controlled at all times, it does so at a slight cost. The 3 Series deals with bumps a bit impatiently and, when the surface gets really challenging, doesn’t always feel totally calm or

reassuring in the way it keeps its tyres in contact with the Tarmac.

If you want greater rolling comfort from your 320d, however, adaptive dampers are available – and they do make for a more absorptive ride on rougher roads, according to wider testing. Alternatively, an SE-spec car without run-flat tyres and on BMW’s standard suspension would be another route to a more relaxed ride. Both are good reasons not to be too hard on a suspension tune that’s intended to suit sporting tastes, and does that outstandingly well.

BUYING AND OWNING

AAAAANext to the Audi A4 40 TDI S line S tronic (£36,945) or Jaguar XE D180 RWD R-Dynamic SE (£37,615), the £36,515 sticker price for a manual-equipped 320d M Sport seems very competitive. Both rivals might offer similarly generous levels of equipment as standard, but the

Audi’s relative age and front-driven configuration serve to dampen its appeal next to the BMW, as do the Jaguar’s performance and fuel economy deficits.

And it’s economy that might just be the most attractive real-world quality of 3 Series ownership. Set to Eco Pro mode, the manner in which the 320d reservedly sips away at its fuel defied belief among our testers. At a sustained 70mph cruise, the trip computer returned an average figure of 63.3mpg. Accounting for the BMW’s 59-litre fuel tank (you only get a 39-litre tank with SE trim cars), this amounted to a potential touring range of 821 miles.

The good news continues when you get to depreciation, too, as the BMW is forecast to outperform those rival products from Audi and Jaguar. After three years/36,000 miles, the 320d M Sport is expected to retain 44% of its original value, versus 41% for the Audi and 37% for the Jaguar. ◊

With its remarkable level body control and agile, compelling handling, the 320d takes to Millbrook’s Alpine Hill Route with an enthusiasm rare among executive saloons.

The keenness with which it deals with the course’s tighter turns is all but unmatched among cars of its kind. The steering manages to be direct but not surprisingly so, making the turn-in phase settled but also making it easy to clip every apex and keep very close tabs on the placement of the front axle.

The four-cylinder engine remains quite couth even when working really hard. It only just develops enough power to begin to throttle-steer the 320d in tighter turns and the lower intermediate gears, but can certainly begin to neutralise the car’s attitude even in quicker ones, and always makes for engaging limit handling.

ACCELERATION

Audi A4 2.0 TDI 190 S line S tronic (2015, 13deg C, damp)

BMW 320d M Sport Auto (18deg C, dry)BRAKING 60-0mph: 2.54sec

Audi A4 2.0 TDI 190 S line S tronic (2015, 13deg C, damp)Standing quarter mile 16.7sec at 87.4mph, standing km 30.0sec at 111.5mph, 30-70mph 7.3sec, 30-70mph in fourth 8.3sec

BMW 320d M Sport Auto (18deg C, dry)Standing quarter mile 15.5sec at 90.0mph, standing km 28.4sec at 115.1mph, 30-70mph 6.8sec, 30-70mph in fourth 7.5sec

∆ both acceleration and efficiency even in the last years of its life, you can probably guess how strong a position that puts the G20 in here.

It’s very rare, for example, to see standing-start pace from a car with any four-cylinder diesel engine strong enough to deliver a 0-60mph time beginning with a six. The 320d manages it alright, sprinting to 60mph from rest in just 6.9sec, where the original E30 M3 only managed it in 6.1sec, and most four-pot diesels in this class still need 7.5-8.5sec. BMW’s official claim for 0-62mph is 6.8sec but, given our figures are recorded with two occupants on board and a full tank of fuel, we can easily believe that claim would be credible in optimal conditions.

In-gear acceleration and performance flexibility is equally strong. The 320d’s engine has only very occasional moments of hesitation when its eight-speed gearbox has to orchestrate a hurried

ratio change before it can respond to a biggish throttle input – but, by the standards of most eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions, this one is pleasingly decisive and makes for easy drivability. Catch the powertrain while it’s already hooked up, meanwhile, and it provides plenty of mid-range thrust in the middle and lower ratios, while it also revs more freely beyond 4000rpm than even the last 320d’s engine – which was already freer-breathing than most.

Mechanical refinement might have taken an even bigger step forward, however. The 320d has never before earned a rank among the smoothest, quietest-running or best-isolated cars in a class that also includes the Mercedes C220d and the Audi A4, but it deserves one now. The engine starts and stops without fidget, spins up mostly without clatter or coarseness and remains unintrusive even when working hard. It’s not a joy to listen to, but neither would you

reasonably expect it to be. You might even say, as part of an engine range with increasingly few six-cylinder options, its audible character is less of a turn-off than it once was.

HANDLING AND STAB IL ITY

AAAAAMore measured and assured than an Alfa Romeo Giulia; flatter-, lighter- and tauter-feeling than a Jaguar XE; and a lot more naturally athletic, poised and immediate to drive than any other compact executive saloon you might compare it with. So begins the edited highlights on exactly how the 320d feels to drive versus the competition, and how it goes down a typical UK road.

The car has fairly pacey steering, particularly in M Sport trim (where a variable-ratio rack is fitted as standard), but there’s usefully meaty weight to the rim that gathers with the increasing steering ratio, and a gradual increase in steering pace

off-centre rather than a sudden one. All that allows you to quickly develop an intuitive sense of control over the front axle, and to begin enjoying what you’re doing at the wheel of this car almost instantly.

Motorway stability is excellent, handling precision is uncommonly good and lateral grip levels are generally high – but not so high that they can’t be probed or even overreached at the rear axle with the car’s cleverly tuned electronic stability controls disengaged.

Thus, the rear-driven handling charisma we would expect of a BMW 3 Series shows up for inspection. Being plainly firmer-sprung and more laterally stiff than any other car of its kind, the car turns in very crisply indeed and retains first-order chassis balance and steering authority even under plenty of lateral load. The chassis rotates really keenly underneath you, then, while the engine produces just enough

One of its precious few demerits, rolling comfort on suboptimal B-road surfaces, can be addressed by adopting adaptive dampers, standard suspension or regular tyres

❝The manner in which it

reservedly sips away at its fuel defies belief

❞

STARTFINISH

Body control at the extremes of suspension travel is particularly impressive through the compression at T6 and over the proceeding crest.

Stiff-sidewalled run-flat tyres would once have made for a vague and untidy transition from grip to slip around corners like T2, but they don’t on the new 320d, which is very controllable on the edge of adhesion.

Stability is good through quicker off-camber turns like T4.

T7

T4

T3

T6

T1

T5

T2

Testers’ notes

Spec advice

Jobs for the facelift

0 02000 4000 60000

Engine (rpm)

295lb ft at1750-2500rpm

188bhp at4000rpm

Powe

r out

put (

bhp) Torque (lb ft)

100

350350

250250

300300

200200

5050

100

150150

02 years 4 years3 years1 yearNew

Valu

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1000

s)

45

5

10

20

25

30

35

40

15

Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2TD Speciale

Mercedes-Benz C220d AMG Line

BMW 320d M Sport Auto

59litres

IT’S RARE FOR a new car to stretch its class’s standards in opposing directions, but that’s a feat the BMW 320d has managed through several model generations, and the latest G20 version manages it too.

The going rate for 0-60mph times for sub-200bhp diesel-powered compact exec saloons is between eight and eight and a half seconds; the 320d does it in less than seven. You’d expect that to come with compromises, but economy isn’t one of them. The BMW indicated 63.3mpg during our real-world economy test, making it more efficient than its peers by some margin.

The ride and handling reaffirm the dynamic values that have made BMW so revered. Striking agility, excellent body control, brilliantly judged grip and a sophisticated stability control system let you explore how much a really good rear-driven sports saloon can enliven your daily driving; a well-resolved ride and good refinement ensure you don’t suffer for that opportunity.

Improved cabin ambience and a competitive value proposition complete a picture that represents what ‘outstanding’ looks like in 2019’s market for smaller executive four-doors. MS

BMW 32Od

R O A D T E S T

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MATT SAUNDERSThe 3 Series’ rolling chassis configuration dilemma remains one to ponder. I wouldn’t run from run-flats, though; and, while I can see a case for adaptive damping, I like the honesty and simplicity of BMW’s passive M Sport springs – and the associated ride wouldn’t put me off.

SIMON DAVISBMW’s infotainment system is generally excellent, but I do think making Apple CarPlay a subscription-based service is a cheeky move. I wonder if this will irk many in the long run.

TECHNICAL LAYOUT‘G20’ 3 Series adopts the same platform as BMW’s bigger longways-engined models, and offers a choice of inline four- and six-cylinder motors; front-mounted six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearboxes; and rear-wheel drive or rear-biased four-wheel drive. Suspension is via struts at the front and multi-link at the rear, with weight distributed 51:49 on the test track scales.

ENGINEInstallation Front, longitudinal, rear-wheel driveType 4 cyls in line, 1995cc,

twin-turbocharged, dieselMade of Aluminium block and headBore/stroke 84.0mm/90.0mmCompression ratio 16.5:1Valve gear 4 per cylPower 188bhp at 4000rpmTorque 295lb ft at 1750-2500rpmRedline 5200rpmPower to weight 129bhp per tonneTorque to weight 203lb ft per tonneSpecific output 94bhp per litre

POWER & TORQUE

MAX SPEEDS IN GEARACCELERATION ACCELERATION IN GEAR RES IDUALS

Freshness of 320d, and popularity of C-Class, delivers a sizeable relative lead for BMW. Alfa’s showing creditable.

Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk

ROAD TEST No 5422

Data log

he BMW 320d has been as consistent a contender for the title of ‘best car in the real world’ as the industry has made in decades – and the new G20 version has unquestionably raised its game. It’s better in ways that will greatly please

long-time 3 Series owners – outright performance and sporting flair, as well as handling precision and driver appeal – but also in others that make it a more complete executive car.

Both practicality and perceived cabin quality have taken big strides, and the car now has electronic driver aids and infotainment features that would be the envy of almost any saloon. It has also advanced on real-world fuel economy and, in becoming a car easily capable of topping 60mpg at one moment and sprinting like a hot hatchback to damned near 150mph the next, sets a dynamic standard matchable by absolutely none of its peers.

In a segment where new rivals have been given room to emerge and old ones the opportunity to eke out a significant sales lead, this car is clearly the product of a company intent on making the 3 Series the default affordable executive option – for keen drivers, but perhaps even for others too. Right now, it deserves to be considered nothing less.

The £1800 Technology pack is worth adding. It brings a head-up display, enhanced Bluetooth and wireless charging, gesture control and a wi-fi hotspot. Avoid larger alloys unless combined with performance tyres or adaptive dampers.

Work on those digital instrument display modes. A traditional one, with simple round dials, would be welcome. Make the M Sport active locking differential more widely available. You shouldn’t have to go to 330i/330d level to get it.

T

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27mph 5200rpm

43mph 5200rpm

66mph 5200rpm

83mph 5200rpm

6108mph 5200rpm

78

149mph 4439rpm

143mph 5200rpm

149mph* 3465rpm* claimed

BMW’s one-time default-choice exec hits even greater heightsAAAAA

VERDICTECONOMYTEST MPG

CLAIMED

Track 23.0mpgTouring 63.3mpgAverage 47.4mpg

Low 40.9-42.2mpgMid 52.3-54.3mpgHigh 57.6-60.1mpgExtra high 51.4-54.3mpgCombined 51.4-53.3mpg

Tank size 59 litres Test range 615 miles

EMISS IONS & TAXCO2 emissions 112g/kmTax at 20/40% pcm £172/£344

MPH TIME (sec)0-30 2.40-40 3.60-50 5.10-60 6.90-70 9.20-80 12.00-90 15.50-100 19.80-110 25.10-120 32.3 0-130 - 0-140 - 0-150 -0-160 - RPM in 8th at 70/80mph = 1628/1860

THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2019, Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the 320d, contact BMW UK Customer Services, Summit One, Summit Avenue, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0FB (0370 5050160, bmw.co.uk). Cost-per-mile figures calculated over three years/36,000 miles, including depreciation and maintenance but not insurance; Lex Autolease (0800 389 3690). Insurance quote covers 35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon; quote from Liverpool Victoria (0800 066 5161, lv.com). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; Wessex Fleet Solutions (01722 322888).

mph 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th20-40 2.6 2.8 3.7 - - - -30-50 - 2.9 3.4 4.4 - - -40-60 - 3.8 3.6 4.5 6.0 8.3 -50-70 - - 4.1 4.7 6.1 7.6 13.260-80 - - 9.4 5.2 6.4 8.0 11.770-90 - - - 6.2 7.0 8.6 12.480-100 - - - 11.1 7.9 9.4 13.890-110 - - - - 9.3 10.8 -100-120 - - - - - - -110-130 - - - - - - - 120-140 - - - - - - -130-150 - - - - - - -140-160 - - - - - - -

BMW 320d M SPORT AUTOOn-the-road price £38,205Price as tested £45,405Value after 3yrs/36k miles £16,700Contract hire pcm £419Cost per mile 75.1pInsurance 29/£790

TYPICAL PCP QUOTEThree years/36,000 miles £579.69 BMW is already offering finance deals on the 320i petrol version of the new 3 Series, but not yet on the 320d. This deal came through BMW Financial Services and is over three years after a 10% deposit worth just over £3500. Balloon payment is just over £15k; interest rate is 4.9% APR.

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST18in ‘790M’ double-spoke alloy wheels BMW Live Cockpit Professional infotainment with 12.3in display,connected navigation, Apple CarPlay, concierge services M aerodynamic bodystyling Vernasca leather upholstery Sports front seats with heaters M Sport lowered suspension Run-flat tyres Variable sport steering Active Guard Plus (front collisionwarning with brake intervention, lanedeparture warning, speed limit assist) Adaptive LED headlights Technology pack (head-up display, gesture control, Harman Kardon audio) £1800Premium Package £1700 Driving Assistant Professional (active cruise control, automatic speedlimit assist, lane keeping assistant) £1250Parking Assistant Plus £500Options in bold fitted to test car

= Standard na = not available

CHASSIS & BODYConstruction Steel and aluminium monocoqueWeight/as tested 1455kg/1639kgDrag coefficient 0.23Wheels 8.5Jx19in (f) 9.5Jx19in (r)Tyres 225/45 R18 95Y (f) 255/40 R18 99Y (r) Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 Spare Run-flats

SAFETYABS, DSC, DTC, CBC, DBC, Fading CompensationEuro NCAP crash rating Not tested

BRAKESFront Ventilated discs, size unspecifiedRear Ventilated discs, size unspecifiedAnti-lock Standard, with brake assistHandbrake type Automatic, switchHandbrake location Centre console

TRANSMISS IONType 8-spd automaticRatios/mph per 1000rpm1st 5.25/5.2 2nd 3.36/8.2 3rd 2.17/12.74th 1.72/16.0 5th 1.32/20.9 6th 1.00/27.57th 0.82/33.6 8th 0.64/43.0Final drive ratio 2.813:1

SUSPENSION Front MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll barRear Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar

CABIN NOISE Idle 44dB Max rpm in 4th gear 71dB30mph 58dB 50mph 62dB 70mph 64dB

STEERINGType Electromechanical, rack and pinionTurns lock to lock 2.2Turning circle 11.4m

BMW 320d M SPORT AUTO3 Series launches back to the top of the class, setting the benchmark for performance, dynamism and refinement even higher. Outstanding.AAAAA

£38,205188bhp/295lb ft6.8sec/149mph112g/km, 51.4-53.3mpg

R E P R O D U C E D F R O M A U T O C A R 15 M AY, 1 4 A U G U S T A N D 4 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 19 AUTOCA R .CO.UK

Latest hybrid 3 Series maintains the model’s reputation for class-leading excellence

BMW.CO.UK/3SERIES

Take two otherwise identical versions of any given car and the conventionally powered model will out-handle the

hybrid. This applies as much to supercars as it does to a supermini. Add a battery pack and you have a heavier car with greater inertia and fractionally delayed responses – plus the need to manage the additional mass with higher spring rates for the suspension, and so on. People who really enjoy driving therefore tend towards whichever pure petrol or diesel version strikes the best balance of performance, refinement and economy for their tastes and budget.

Which brings us to the new BMW 330e: an unapologetic plug-in hybrid whose maker cannot afford not to build and yet, as a 3 Series, ought to put handling on a pedestal.

We’ll come to that in a moment, but elsewhere the 330e looks impressive. At £37,875 in SE trim (rising to £39,980 for the M Sport version driven here) it costs roughly the same as the 330i four-cylinder petrol but gives away just 0.2sec in the sprint to 62mph, despite weighing roughly 200kg more thanks to the hybrid hardware. With carbon dioxide emissions of only 39g/km, company-car drivers will also pay only half as much benefit in kind, and BMW has upped the battery capacity for this second attempt at a plug-in hybrid 3 Series from 7.6kWh to 12kWh, so the electric driving range increases from 25 to 41 miles – even on the stricter new WLTP regime. In fact, in the context of specification, it seems the only real trade-off against the 330i in daily use concerns boot space, where the 330e sacrifices just over 100 litres to make way for the repositioned fuel tank. With 375 litres, there’s less space than you’ll find in a 2 Series.

At the other end of the car sits the exact same 181bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine used in the 320i, which on its own might only be enough to propel a

1660kg, rear-driven saloon of this size to 62mph in around 8.0sec. It isn’t alone, though, because within the 330e’s eight-speed Steptronic transmission there’s an electric motor that normally contributes 67bhp but can swell that to 111bhp for short bursts thanks to a new XtraBoost system activated in Sport mode. Open the sluice gates and you’ve therefore got 289bhp and 310lb ft to play with – figures that comfortably surpass those of the 330i and make the 330e the most potent non-M 3 Series until the six-cylinder M340i xDrive arrives.

Altogether, the 330e makes a strong case before you’ve even turned a wheel, and indeed continues to do so once the wheels are turning. For a start, with both power sources on stream, this is a prodigiously quick car. It defaults into electric mode when you ‘switch’ it on and once on the move there’s a useful marker in the digital instrument binnacle that tells you how much throttle you can use before combustion enters the fray (answer: more than you’d think). The transition is seamless, and thereafter the 330e pulls fiercely hard.

However, it doesn’t match the crisp delicacy of the 330i through direction changes and isn’t so alert. This is hardly a revelation, although with the weight of the battery pack kept within the wheelbase and similar physics at the front axle, the same satisfying poise is at least present. In short, it’s no synaptic delight but neither is a car whose appeal disintegrates on a challenging road, and from the mid-range upwards, torque-fill from the electric motor means throttle response is effectively on par with a finely tuned naturally aspirated engine.

Ultimately, the case for the 330e boils down to that of any plug-in hybrid: those who often make short journeys and can charge either at work or at home overnight could benefit significantly. Those who can’t, or hit a triple-digit mileage on a daily basis, are probably better off with a 330i or 330d. What we can say is that the BMW is probably now the most convincing car of its kind, if not quite as convincing as the conventionally powered model.RICHARD LANE

BMW 330e

Price £39,980Engine 4 cyls in line, 1998cc, turbocharged, petrol, plus electric motorPower 289bhp at 5000-6500rpmTorque 310lb ft at 1350-4250rpmGearbox 8-spd automaticKerb weight 1660kg0-62mph 6.0secTop speed 143mphEconomy 138.0mpgCO2, tax band 38g/km, 16%RIVALS Volkswagen Passat GTE,

Mercedes-Benz C300e

BMW 330e M SPORT

AAAAB

Hybrid means handling compromises, but electric-only range has risen @_rlane_

TESTER ’S NOTEThe new car can hit 68mph in electric mode – a useful

increase from 50mph in the original 330e

of 2015, though still a sure-fire way to drain

the battery in double-time. RL

T E S T E D 2 2 . 7.1 9 , M U N I C H , G E R M A N Y O N S A L E N O W

Pr: Price Pt: Power, torque Ts: 0-62mph, top speed Er: CO2, economy/range

All prices quoted are on the road and correct at time of original publication.

2 3 4

TESLA MODEL 3 STANDARD RANGE PLUS Quite possibly the most appealing ‘affordable’ premium EV on sale today. Not perfect, but this car will do big things for the Tesla brand.AAAAC

£37,340 (inc £3500 gov’t grant)252bhp, 277lb ft5.3sec, 140mph0g/km, 254 miles

MERCEDES-BENZ C300 DE EQ POWER SPORT EDITION The Merc benefits from diesel efficiency on open roads and emissions-free electric drive in town. The best of both worlds.AAAAC

Pr £43,015Pt 302bhp, 516lb ftTs 5.6sec, 155mphEr 38g/km, 176.6-235.4mpg

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GTE It’s handsome, well equipped and impeccably refined but offers only limited appeal as a driver’s car. It’s yet to reach UK shores, too. AAAAC

£35,000 (est)215bhp, 295lb ft7.6sec (est), 140mph (est)na

VOLVO S60 T8 TWIN-ENGINE R-DESIGN PLUS AWD We’re yet to drive Volvo’s hot plug-in hybrid, but the sharp-suited Swede should prove to be an enticing prospect .

£49,805390bhp, nanana

Quick and sophisticated, it makes a serious case for plug-in hybrids, though not without some sacrifice

1 ROAD TEST RIVALS