Sporty sedan stays the course Brian Harper
Latest 3 Series offering doesn’t raise the bar as it has in the past, but it can still dance
The new 3 Series isn’t the light and lithe street fighter it once was, but maturity’s not so bad. The 2019 330i xDrive is a very competent sport sedan, but it has a lot of competition these days and not just from traditional rivals Mercedes and Audi, but other European automakers as well as those from Detroit, Japan and even South Korea.
What makes the 330i xDrive tick? A peek under the hood reveals a new turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 255 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and peak torque of 295 pound-feet starting at 1,550 rpm and holding on until 4,400 rpm.
This is a seven-horsepower increase in output and an extra 37 pound-feet of torque compared with last year’s engine, the result of “focused optimization” of the TwinPower Turbo system. Said engine is hooked up to an upgraded version of the Steptronic eight-speed automatic transmission.
The tester was kitted out with BMW’s Adaptive M suspension, a standalone $600 component of the larger M Sport package. So I headed out to my favourite spot where roads rise and fall like a roller-coaster in addition to throwing in some twisty bits. The adaptive suspension combines the characteristics of the M Sport suspension with electronically controlled dampers, delivering damping force to each wheel separately via continuously adjustable valves. BMW said this is both the sportiest and most comfortable suspension variant available for the 3 Series.
And indeed, the 330i xDrive displays yeoman grip in the turns, cornering flat and following the intended line with precision, though you do feel the car’s heft.
The steering, a little under-boosted at lower speed, is ideally weighted as speeds rise. And though all-wheel drive, xDrive is set up to exhibit a rear bias when AWD is not required, delivering a more traditional feel.
However, I am no fan of the overactive lane-keep assist, which was very intrusive on winding roads, tugging the wheel with great determination should you dare stick a tire over a lane marking (on a couple of occasions it had also mistaken tar strips for a marking).
The 330i has buttons on the centre console — Sport, Comfort, Adaptive and Eco Pro — to vary the sport sedan’s damping characteristics, steering, acceleration and shift response. Adaptive, which is new to the 330i xDrive, is interesting in that the car automatically adjusts its responses to the driver’s style and, depending on the equipment specified, to the route profile.
Fuel economy for the week was an acceptable
8.9 L/100 km with most of the time spent on secondary roads.
Being equipped with the $2,000 M Sport package imbues the car with a sportier appearance than a garden-variety 330i with larger air intakes up front and a more distinctive design for the side skirts and rear bumper. Inside, the interior features sports seats with M-specific upholstery, an M leather steering wheel, an anthracite-coloured headliner and interior trim bits in an aluminum tetragon pattern.
All in all, the cabin boasts a comfortable, well-equipped, driver-centric, typical BMW form-follows-function layout. Unfortunately, BMW Canada has chosen to bundle about 20 additional features — some desirable, others less so — into one expensive ($8,900) package called Premium Excellence.
Although it’s a few inches longer than its predecessor, as well as being a touch wider and taller, this doesn’t translate into a family-friendly sedan. With the front seat set for my six-foottwo frame, I tried to climb into the back seat. I couldn’t do it.
Over the course of six model generations, the 3 Series — touted by BMW to be the world’s biggest-selling “premium” car — has earned an enviable reputation as a leader in driving dynamics while balancing its sport and luxury personas. Maybe the seventh generation doesn’t raise the bar as it has in the past, bit it’s still a solidly built, very enjoyable and inviting car.