Diesel powertrains have, in the wake of the dieselgate scandal, been unnecessarily vilified. In their compliance with Bharat VI emission norms, the humble diesel motor is quite the unsung hero, producing far less CO2 than its petrol counterpart, and, thanks to the diesel particulate filter, negligible particulate matter. While some luxury car manufacturers have relegated the diesel engine to the scrapyard of their past, others know they’ve come too far in perfecting the technology to let go of it just yet.
BMW’s oil burners are, in this regard, peerless. This is high praise, yes, especially given the exalted company it keeps. But there’s a palpable smoothness to the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel in the updated BMW 3-Series Gran Limousine that left me gobsmacked. Maybe it’s been a while since I drove one of these, but within seconds of having buried the throttle I found myself experiencing the sort of power delivery that didn’t have me pining for petrol performance. That’s just one of the main attributes that makes the 320 Ld a benchmark of sorts for the segment it operates in.
But which segment is that? At an eye-watering Rs 59.9 lakh, the 3 GL is on the pricier end of the spectrum. But even then, it comes out shining brightly because it cleverly offers the sort of legroom you’d have to pay a fair bit more for in a Mercedes-Benz. This is because when it comes to the Indian market, even in the luxury segment, the idea of more for less works wonders. And the 3 GL brings more legroom, the sort found in larger, plusher cars, to one of its sportiest sedans. And in doing so, arguably negates the need to move to a more expensive segment.
Even the new 7-Series arrives in long-wheel base (LWB) form, owing to the chauffeur-driven reality these cars operate in. In fact, they’re taking this fascination to a new extreme by promising to replace the existing 5 and 6-Series with a next-gen LWB 5-Series.
New face
The facelift is an annual reminder of just how good a car the 3-Series continues to be. The new face is more in line with contemporary BMWs, but isn’t as extreme as the buck-toothed anomaly that is the tank-like 7-Series. While the grille is more prominent than ever, it doesn’t threaten to suck-in small children and large rodents in the relentless horizon-chasing that you’re bound to do in a car that’s this eager to perform.
Yet, it should be pointed out that the model’s extremely sporty looks, with 18-inch alloys and M Sport kit as standard, aren’t stylistically aligned with what is a less proportionate LWB model. Still, the M Sport trim’s faux diffuser, sporty bumper, and generally shredded exterior makes for a compelling sight.
Not as compelling is the interior, which manages to be functional and plush but not really exquisite. Make no mistake, BMW’s OS continues to remain one of the most intuitive and easy-to-use UI’s in the business. It is now even more enhanced by a large curved screen split into a massive 12.3-inch instrument display unit and an even more massive 14.9-inch infotainment cluster. That’s a full-sized laptop. And with BMW’s new OS 8, it works just as well as one.
Apple CarPlay pops-up in an instant, and while the overall interior could use a whiff of exquisiteness, it’s still a highly underrated piece of ergonomic design. It does make you feel like you’re piloting a spaceship, which is the objective of every good cockpit design.
There are other changes, some welcome, others not so much. Like the svelte gear lever that was an ergonomic highlight of the former 3-Series. It’s now been reduced to a simple switch, leaving manual control of gear shifts exclusively to the paddles. Long live the stick shift.
Traditional knobs designed to modulate aircon temperature and fan speed have also been replaced by touch surfaces. It all looks great in the brochures until you find yourself blindly jabbing a flat surface while keeping your eyes on the road. Both the changes serve as a routine reminder that most luxury car brands would do well to heed: don’t fix what isn’t broken. With the exception of a 360-degree camera, this still remains one of the best operating cabins in the business.
Smooth operator
That absolute gem of a 2.0-litre, four-pot oil burner thankfully remains unchanged. There’s also a 2.0-litre petrol, which puts out 248 hp, but the diesel is the more efficient model and has effectively ironed out any refinement issues that could possibly ail a diesel power plant. Torque is plentiful at 400 Nm, and power fairly sufficient at 188 bhp, but it’s the manner in which it’s deployed that makes it such a delicious package. The 8-speed, dual-clutch ZF gearbox is an excellent partner-in-crime delivering seamless thrills, particularly in Sport mode, which you’re seldom likely to leave.
In typically sporty fashion, the tyres do ride a bit stiff, and while this is controlled to an extent, driving over road markers is particularly wince-inducing. Until you aim the BMW towards a corner, and you’re back to relishing its sheer dynamism. Long wheelbase or not, this is still a driver-focussed machine.
In a certain sense, it is lamentable that the BMW 3-Series has succumbed to the needs of the chauffeur-driven, given how it was the last bastion of the driving enthusiast looking for a comfortable sedan. At present, those looking for an adequately proportioned 3-Series have no other trim but the superlatively fun M340i.
The rest have to contend with the fact that the 3 only comes in Gran Limousine form – a trend that’s likely to continue for a while. As enjoyable as the 3-Series has been in various guises over the years, there’s now a bit more of it for you to enjoy. And that’s not a bad thing at all.
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