3 Series: it’s not on top, it’s inside
Revisions to the latest model range are mostly on the engines
TOGETHER with a host of almost unnoticeable styling tweaks inside and out, BMW’s recently facelifted 3 Series also gets some major engine changes.
It’ll take a set of keen eyes to spot the styling differences between the now three-year-old sixth generation (F30) model and the newly updated one launched in South Africa last week, but astute Beemer fanatics might notice that its front and rear bumpers, air intakes, and grille have been subtly re-sculpted. Its headlights are also changed slightly with new daytimerunning corona rings and now come with full LED tech as an option. At the back, re-shaped taillights also now work with LED illumination as standard, and new model-specific tailpipes are fitted across the range.
There are a few tech upgrades too, with higher detail in the fullcolour head-up display, greater internet-based functionality, and an improved navigation system which BMW says calculates faster and features better 3D graphics.
The most significant visible update inside happens in the centre console where the sliding cupholder lid has been redesigned, but other accents here and there have also been blinged up with smatterings of chrome and the broad dashboard inserts now feature shinier, high-gloss finishes. I did say minor... The most obvious addition to the new range, however, is a 340i badge affixed to the bootlid of the range-topper. Under the hood of this model lives a 3-litre, straightsix turbo just like the now dead 335i, but it’s a completely new engine from the block up. All components in this ‘B58’ codenamed unit (Beemer fanatics are infatuated with these numbers) are changed from the ‘N55’ as per 335i fitment, but for the sake of pub chatter just know that it now uses a more efficient chargecooler instead of an intercooler. This basically means air fed to its single turbocharger is cooled with water instead of air.
With 240kW and 450Nm, the new 340i is 15kW and 50Nm more powerful than the discontinued 335i, and with a claimed (and very ambitious) petrol consumption average of 6.5l/100km it’s also 10 percent more efficient, according to BMW. All petrol engine choices, of which there are four (barring M3), are built off a common, modular structure for which one cylinder equals 500cc. So, where the 340i gets six at a total of 3 000cc, smaller four-cylinders displace 2-litres (2 000cc), and a new entry-level 318i with the same three-cylinder turbo motor as the base Mini (and technically the i8 hybrid supercar) displaces 1.5-litres.
Yes, you read correctly. You can now buy a three-cylinder 3 Series. The new 318i replaces the previous 316i and while its output of 100kW/220Nm is identical, its claimed consumption average of 5 litres per 100km is a 13 percent improvement. The new 320i and 330i employ the same 2-litre turbo but with two different outputs: 135kW/290Nm and 185kW/350Nm respectively.
On the diesel front there are two engine options starting with a new 320d with 140kW/400Nm. Here, power is up by 3 percent and consumption is down by 9 percent. A 330d version with 190kW and 560Nm is unchanged from the pre- facelift model.
At the Rosslyn-based media launch (where BMW’s factory builds 3 Series for local and export markets) I was able to drive the new 318i and 340i. The three-cylinder 318i is nowhere near as lethargic as it might sound, and there’s actually a nice shove midway through its rev range when its little turbo kicks in. It’s a smooth performer, and it hustles well in the fast lane with high-paced traffic flow, but its lack of capacity does sometimes expose itself in overtaking situations.
On a route consisting of mostly highway driving the 318’s onboard computer showed a relatively high 7.3l/100km average – although this might come down with lower average speeds and less use of airconditioning.
The 340i on the other hand, makes power for days. Boost begins low and swells right up past 6 000rpm, with a deliciously smooth exhaust note right the way through. BMW claims 0-100km/h in a respectable 5.1 seconds, and I have no reason to doubt this figure, so wicked is its acceleration. A pure sports sedan, this.
BMW South Africa, which has a long history of special, local-only models including 745i and 333i, has convinced its German headquarters to allow another SA-specific creation. Although it’s not quite along the same lines as the engine/chassis intermixes of yesteryear, the new 3 Series 40th Edition was devised for SA only and comprises a suite of features put together in combinations unavailable otherwise. Celebrating 40 years of 3 Series, the special edition comes with 19” wheels (from another 4 Se- ries model), a leather covered dashboard, Harman Kardon sound, unique paint/leather combos, an M sport trim package, and a signatory badge inlayed into the dashboard. It’s available on all models except 318i, at a premium of R50 000 over normal prices. Only 400 will be made.