A mid-life refresh gives the 3-Series enough to keep its rivals at bay, reports Paddy Comyn
BMW'S 3-SERIES has been around for 33 years, and is now in its fifth generation. What started life as a small, sporty coupé back in 1975 grew into a large imposing saloon, coupé, touring and convertible.
It has become the class-leader in the compact executive class and due to our more recent affluence, became one of the best-selling cars in Ireland, outselling many more "mainstream" family saloons.
More recently, the choice of engines has made many of the 3-Series line-up even more appealing. The diesels, in particular now make more sense than ever, with some examples costing just €150 to tax per year, with their VRT rate of 16 per cent making them more accessible than ever to newly cash-strapped buyers.
There was a spell recently where the 3-Series really had things its own way. The Mercedes C-Class wasn't as good as it should have been, and the Audi A4 was too small to really worry the Bavarians too much. But times, like in the economy, have changed, and the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 have come on in leaps and bounds, perhaps more so than BMW would have expected, especially when it comes to the new A4, which is a superb car to drive and is now substantially bigger than it was before.
The fifth-generation model was released in 2005, so in the face of this new competition from Mercedes-Benz and Audi, BMW have given the car the now familiar mid-life refresh a few years before the all-new sixth-generation model appears.
The changes appear to be very subtle. There is a new bonnet with some purposeful-looking ridges, new front and rear bumpers, as well as new front and rear lights. From the side, the contour edges of the side skirts have been set higher, and the new larger side mirrors have new character lines.
The rear lights have a new design, which does away with the partially white, Mitsubishi Carisma-looking rear lenses and replaces them with dual section rear lights, which use LED rear clusters. BMW engineers have also widened the track of the 3-Series by up to 24mm, depending on the model. This, combined with the new rear bumper, gives the car a more purposeful stance on the road.
Under the new bonnet, five petrol engines are carried over, the 316i petrol engine dropped after the July 1st changeover. These range from the 143bhp 318i to the 306bhp 335i. The diesel line-up gains a new engine, in the form of the 330d. This is an all-new 242bhp 3.0-litre straight-six diesel that is 14bhp more powerful, and is 7 per cent less thirsty. It meets Euro 5 emissions standard, and as an option, can be tweaked to meet the Euro 6 laws, which don't come into effect until 2014.
There are some changes to the interior, too. There are a number of superficial changes, such an improved placement of the armrest, some chrome surrounds for the speedometer and rev counter, but the most significant change is to BMW's love-it-or-hate-it iDrive.
This often-criticised control-unit has been dramatically redesigned, and even the most devoted Luddite should find it easier to use. Rather than having to click and wriggle through menus, the new system uses some simple buttons and a much more intuitive wheel to operate the major functions. If you can operate an iPod or a mobile phone, then this new system shouldn't cause too many problems.
Other new features include a hard disk that not only stores music, but also stores satellite navigation maps and through BMW Connect, users can also browse the web using the Edge network.
On the road, the 3-Series displays the usual surefootedness that we have come to expect. The new 3.0-litre diesel is truly excellent, with 520Nm of torque on tap and this means it offers 20Nm more than Audi's 3.0-litre TDi, and is better value too. This new engine is very quiet and offers decent fuel consumption and emissions too. The manual can manage 152g/km of CO2, which the equivalent Audi 3.0 TDI with a manual uses 172g/km. That translates into €310 less road tax per year in the BMW.
Irish buyers are still more likely to choose the smaller diesel versions, with the 143bhp 318d and 177bhp 320d both offering entry-level prices and Band B tax rates of just €150 per year without leaving you feeling short-changed as regards performance.
The new 3-Series models, in both saloon and touring, arrive in dealers next month. Prices start at €40,235 on the road for the 318d ES manual.
FACTFILE
BMW 330d SE
Engine:2,993cc in-line six-cylinder diesel
Peak power:245bhp at 4,000rpm
Peak torque:520Nm at 1,750rpm - 3,000rpm
Transmission:six-speed manual, rear-wheel-drive; six-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive
Performance:0-100km/h: 6.1 seconds
Top speed:250km/h
Emissions:152 CO2 g/km (Band C)
Road Tax:€290
Combined cycle fuel economy:5.7 litres/100km
Price:€55,650