The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Saturday
BMW rediscovers its winning touch for the big-selling 3-series
There’s a lot riding on any new version of the 3, so how does it measure up against key rivals?
AANDREW ENGLISH
MOTORING CORRESPONDENT t the Paris motor show in October we learnt that new
BMW models are given nicknames as aides mémoire for development teams struggling with the minutiae of marketing, legislation, emissions and perhaps even the boss’s wife’s colour preferences.
For example, the X5 large SUV was known as “The Boss”, the ugly X6 SUV coupé “The Beast” and the rabid M2 “The Drift Machine”. Intriguingly, the new 3-series is known as “The Core”, which is appropriate. For the past 43 years, this four-door saloon has been a driver of pretty much everything at BMW; it represents one in five BMWs sold and makes the most profit, hence it gets the most engineering attention.
In the UK, the 3-series often appears in the top 10 sellers, with 25,000 a year, and eclipses sales of similarly sized non-premium rivals. If you want executive-class exclusivity these days, you buy a Peugeot 508; rumour has it that Ford has considered not replacing its once market-leading Mondeo.
Yet this sheer ubiquity brings its own pressure. BMW has long since departed from its slogan of being the purveyor of “Ultimate Driving Machines” and more recently has resembled a marketing-led monster, pushing a sprawling model range of mediocre and less-than-reliable cars.
The legend is abroad that BMW is trying to turn things around. This may not be before time, as it faces diminishing sales growth in China and less-than-stellar residual values, as well as the industry-wide pressures of trying to develop a range of electric cars to meet forthcoming emissions legislation while the old CO2-saving standby of diesel is fading fast.
As Klaus Fröhlich, BMW director for development, explains, this seventhgeneration 3-series is completely new (although it’s based on 5- and 7-series underpinnings) and is lighter and stiffer than the current 3-series, with new suspension, damper technology and a wider track. He also promises to
make good on a promise that the new 3 will be better to drive. “Journalists in the US and UK should not be able to criticise the new car,” he claimed.
This isn’t a design revolution, it’s recognisably a 3-series but with a more rounded bonnet and a bit more glass area. Grilles are a fetish at BMW and this one links into the headlights with shiny metal and has kinked vertical bars. The 3-series is now a big car; 7cm longer than the previous one, with more width and height. This is partly due to pedestrianimpact regulations, which dictated the extra length, which in turn demanded the other increases in dimension. “But it’s no bigger than the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-class,” says Thomas Bäumer, the project head, rather too defensively.
BMW claims weight savings of up to 55kg, the chassis and suspension have more aluminium and there’s more high-strength steel throughout. The suspension remains front MacPherson struts with a multi-link rear, but with revised geometry, stiffer bushes and linkages. The dampers feature a hydraulic bump-stop system, which acts in rebound on the front and in compression in the rear.
The revised engines have increased power and torque but use less fuel.
The initial line-up is three models, with more to follow: a 187bhp/295lb ft, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel with rear-wheel drive at £33,610 and all-wheel drive at £36,800, and a 247bhp/295lb ft 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, single-turbo petrol at £37,660. The gearboxes are a six-speed manual or a revised version of BMW’s eight-speed automatic.
The two main trim levels are SE on 17in wheels and a decent range of equipment, and various M-Sport specifications depending on model.
The interior has been redesigned and upgraded, with a new digital instrument binnacle on upper-spec models, a new centre screen and control logic. It’s beautifully made and presented, but a bit boring. BMW’s swanky surface changes abound, although the new metal centre console trim looks like the stuff they screw over closed-down pub windows.
The centre capstan control is still one of the most logical in the class, even if the instrument binnacle is a dog’s dinner, with indistinct graphics and a confusing layout.
The seats are comfortable and reasonably supportive, with more room around them and lots of storage space. The rear seats provide enough leg and head room for three 6ft adults, while the boot has grown in capacity to 480 litres.
Connectivity improvements include a facility to update the software while the car is parked; maps update and new functions appear when you return, although BMW is less forthcoming about what information it might have uploaded from your car. The voice recognition system is either a damn nuisance or great, depending on your view of such things.
The diesel engine sounds loud from outside but close the door and the peace is profound. Even at speed, wind noise, tyre and engine roar are