BMW 3 SERIES

The BMW 3 Series has a 45-year old legacy. Every seventh BMW sold is a 3 Series, making this iconic model a much sought-after car. The latest models include the Sportline through to the M Sports Package Pro.

A redesigned front and rear see a more aggressive outward appearance with cleaner contours. The headlights and kidney grille have been given a fresh face. The lightly modified contours and new double bars give the BMW kidney grille an even more powerful look. Air intakes in Black high-gloss positioned below the kidney grille cool the braking system and add a sophisticated touch.

The full-LED lights have been arranged in an inverted L-shape to create an even more modern look. The car is a wider and the bumpers have been redesigned to keep that low stance – almost ready to pounce.

The interior is much cleaner in design and far easier to use. This isthanks to the BMW operating system 8. There has been a reduction in choices – by some 30% – as customer feedback found most overwhelmed by too many buttons and technical goodies that most didn’t understand or use.

The personal eSim gives your car 5G connectivity, but renders you into a human aerial at the same time. Not sure how I feel about that!

The M Sport package Pro is a new arrival on the options list. Available as an extension of the M Sport package as well as for the BMW Performance models from BMW M GmbH, this package includes extended M High-gloss Shadowline trim , M lights Shadowline and an M Sport braking system with red callipers. Retrofit items from the BMW M Performance Parts range offer distinctive options for accentuating the dynamic charger of the new BMW 3 Series Sedan even more intently.

The range of exterior colours has been expanded to include Skyscraper Grey metallic and M Brooklyn Grey metallic as part of the M Sport package. The BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey metallic and Frozen Tanzanite Blue metallic special paint finishes have been added to the range too.

M Sport has a very low-lying carbon fibre front bumper add-on and may prove to be a great looking repair hazard as it sits very low indeed. On South African roads with all our glorious potholes it may not be a wise choice, but the posing possibilities will make the consumer not worry about this aspect.

Among other signature features of the BMW 3 Series is the wide range of drive systems available. Highly efficient internal combustion engines with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, and electrification in the form of a 48V mild hybrid technology, strike an exceptionally fine balance between driving pleasure and fuel economy.
One diesel and four petrol engines with four or six cylinders are offered for the 3 Series. This line-up includes a four-cylinder petrol unit with an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head and an upgraded turbocharger system to optimise power delivery.

Heading the engine range are two BMW Performance models from BMW M GmbH with ultra-sporty characteristics. This means the BMW 3 Series covers an output range from 115 kW to 285 kW (fuel consumption, combined: 4.9 – 8.0 1/100km in the WLTP cycle, CO2 emissions combined: 130 – 182 g/km in the WLTP cycle.
Mild hybrid technology brings particularly rapid response and increased efficiency to the siz-cylinder in-line petrol engine and the diesel unit. Having driven these models back-to-back, the standard 3 Series came out tops with amazing comfort and performance. Not the expected outcome.
Prices start at R767 893.60 for the BMW 318i and cap at R1 353 206.60 for the M Sport package Pro.

By Claire Mafie