MODEL TESTED: BMW 320d xDrive Touring M Sport

PRICE: £41,325 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp

BMW launched this version of the 3 Series with an all-new platform, fresh engines and the latest in-car tech. Now it’s time to see how the Touring version rates. Here we’ve got a 320d xDrive in M Sport trim, which costs £41,325.

Design & engineering

THE Touring adds a longer roofline a different tailgate in its transformation from saloon to estate, which also means the boot becomes part of the cabin. This allows you to fold the rear seats down to create even more room inside, but we’ll take a closer look at this in the Practicality section.

Many of BMW ’s models are based on the brand’s CLAR architecture, including the latest 3 Series.

The platform brought improvements to torsional rigidity and reduced weight. It uses multi-link rear suspension, with MacPherson struts at the front.

Clever lift-dependent suspension damper technology reacts to the weight the car is carrying, so when it’s full of people, the damping is tauter to control the extra heft. Adaptive dampers are part of the optional £2, 200 M Sport Plus Package.

This 320d model uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel unit that delivers 187bhp and 400Nm of torque. It has two turbochargers: a smaller one to bring better responsiveness at low revs and a larger one to boost power at higher revs.

An eight-speed gearbox sends power to all four wheels in this xDrive car, although we reckon the rear-wheel-drive 320d is the better choice, because it will be cheaper to buy and be a little more fuel-efficient.

The Touring’s cabin is just as good as the saloon’s; it has the build quality buyers in this market expect, plus a neat, classy design with good use of highquality materials in the right places. It also features all the tech you’d want, including a 10. 25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that’s sharp, modern and easy to use (see Infotainment on P42). Other standard kit on M Sport includes 18-inch rims, sports suspension, heated leather seats, LED lights, a reversing camera, plus cruise and climate control.

Driving

THE 320d’s engine is impressive, bringing a solid mix of performance, refinement and responsiveness. It’s quieter than its rivals’ from idle right up to high revs, and making progress is effortless thanks to the clever turbo set-up. The 320d went from 0-60mph in 7.2 seconds in our tests, just 0.1 seconds behind the more powerful Mercedes and nearly a second faster than the V60 D4.

The transmission is another strong point for the BMW, because it’s smoother to shift than those in its rivals, and also delivers rapid changes in manual mode. The auto setting is good at keeping you in a high gear and making use of the 400Nm of torque.

Along with its excellent powertrain, the 320d leads its rivals for dynamics and appeal behind the wheel. The driving position is superb, and the weight of the steering is spot-on, although it doesn’t have much feel and the wheel rim is too thick. The chassis matches this because it’s very agile, with lots of grip and a mildly adjustable balance that encourages you to drive it quickly on country roads

(if you want to), because it gives so much confidence. It’s more fun than either of its competitors here, yet this focus on enjoyment doesn’t detract from comfort.

The damping is sophisticated, and while there’s a firm edge to the ride – it’s not as supple as the larger 5 Series, for example – the BMW remains composed over bumps and is just as comfy as the C-Class and V60. All three cars provide good ride comfort, but the fact the BMW has more driver appeal.

This xDrive model brings good traction in bad conditions, but we don’t feel it justifies its £3,190 cost, because it doesn’t change the driving experience in a meaningful way; we just don’t get enough extreme weather in the UK for it to be worth it.

Practicality

THESE estates are all about practicality, and the 320d Touring scores well here. The hatchback boot boosts luggage space over the saloon version, and while its 500-litre capacity is a little smaller than the Volvo V60’s 529 litres, it’s still a good, useable size and bigger than the Mercedes’ 460-litre boot.

It comes with some clever features. The main one is the split tailgate; you can open just the glass section of the boot door, allowing easy access for dropping in some shopping, or getting to items stashed at the top of a full load bay. It’s a great feature and only appears on the BMW here. A powered tailgate is standard, too.

Ownership

EURO NCAP awarded the 3 Series a full five stars in its 2019 safety tests, and the Touring gets kit including AEB, LED lights, parking sensors and a reversing camera as standard. The Driving Assistant Professional pack (£1, 250) adds adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, cross-traffic warning and blind-spot assist for improved protection.

BMW did poorly in our Driver Power 2019 survey though, coming in 25th overall out of 30 brands, although Mercedes was 26th. Volvo finished 13th, well ahead of its rivals for customer satisfaction.

Running costs

ALL three estates break the £40,000 barrier and so incur a £320 road tax surcharge, but for these models company car tax is the more important factor. The 320d xDrive emits 124g/km of CO2 and sits in the same 32 per cent bracket as the V60 D4 (122g/km), while the C-Class (119g/km) is in the 31 per cent Benefit-in-Kind band.

These figures mean higher-rate earners will pay £5, 256 in tax contributions for the BMW, £5,146 for the Volvo and £5, 239 this year to run the Mercedes.