First Drive: 2012 BMW 3 Series (F30)

The launch of the 2012 BMW 3 Series sedan is one of the most important for BMW this year as it accounts for a third of all sales. More importantly, in South Africa, the 3 Series is responsible for 1 200 jobs at BMW’s Plant Rosslyn, where 50 000 units are currently produced for export – a figure that will soar to just over 90 000 by year-end, as a third shift of 600 workers is added.

Known internally as the F30, the sixth generation brings advancements in all most every aspect. For now, the F30 represents a body style change for the sedan only, with the estate, coupé, and convertible body styles to remain unchanged for the 2012 model year.

The new BMW face, with flat, narrow, headlights reaching along as far as the BMW kidney grille, gives the car a sportier and low-slung look when viewed from the front. The longer bonnet hints at the idea of a cab-backward, roadster-like stance and together with the headlights, could conjure images of the Z4 in one’s mind. The profile features a new character line running through the door handles and the car is given further definition with a crease running beneath the window line. Around the back, L-shaped taillights look like a cut and paste job from the larger 5 Series, which is a good thing, as they blend well with the car’s shoulder line, while the integrated spoiler on the boot gives it a solid and sporty finish. Three styling packages (Modern, Sport and Luxury), are also available as options, which enhance and add an element of individuality to the 3 Series. As with the 3 Series models that have gone before it, this latest F30 is a successful blend of sportiness and elegance.

The biggest criticism of the previous car was its interior, which was said to be a little shy on the premium feel you might expect for your money. In response, this has been one of the areas where the 3 Series has improved the most. A widescreen centre display looks more like a slim tablet PC mounted on top of the dashboard compared with the built-in unit of old. This gives the dashboard a less bulky feel and adds to a lighter impression of the cabin. BMW’s iDrive system is now standard across the range and the controls feel similar to those of the 5 Series, which adds to the air of quality.

The interior also offers more space, with the 3 Series being 93 mm longer than before. A wider door aperture affords rear passengers easier access, where they’ll find a comfortable bench seat, together with adequate leg and headroom thanks to the 50 mm longer wheelbase. The boot is also 20-litres larger, at 480-litres, making it one of the largest in its class and the rear seats now fold almost flat in a 40-20-40 split configuration.

Buyers now have more choice when it comes to the interior trim of their 3 Series, as the three new optional trim lines mentioned earlier (Modern, Sport and Luxury), extend to the cabin too. The ‘Modern’ trim pack offers lighter interior shades, which are said to entice those who may be partial to Volvo. ‘Sport’ features high-gloss black trim with red detailing, which BMW expect to be the most popular choice. The ‘Luxury’ pack includes various polished chrome detailing, wood inserts and a two-tone colour scheme, which is likely to appeal to the would-be Mercedes-Benz buyer.

Although generally there is more standard equipment on the new 3 Series, plenty of optional extras are also available. For a price you can include: Lane departure and lane change warning; a head-up display; traffic sign recognition; as well as ‘Surround View’ that incorporates cameras located around the vehicle to assist with parking from various angles and ‘Side View’ that uses front mounted cameras to assist drivers to edge out of junctions.

The new BMW 3 Series is available with four engine choices, three petrol and one diesel. Petrol units include the 135 kW / 320 Nm, turbocharged, 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder found in the 320i; a turbocharged version of the same engine that produces 180 kW and 350 Nm found in the 328i; and the familiar 225 kW / 400 Nm, 3.0-litre, turbocharged, 6-cylinder engine installed in the 335i. The 320d uses a 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that delivers 135 kW and 380 Nm.

All models can be equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, which we suggest you tick on the options sheet if you can afford it because it’s so smooth and swaps cogs so fast. In addition, BMW’s stop/start engine and brake energy regeneration technology are now standard, while ‘Eco-Pro’ driving mode encourages frugal driving practices and also turns off unnecessary ancillary devices. In total, BMW say these measures improve fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.

On the local launch in Gauteng, we sampled the 328i, which features BMW’s latest 4-cylinder engine and replaces the traditional 6-cylinder unit found in the previous 330i model. The 328i’s four-cylinder turbo doesn’t sound as good as the old six-cylinder, but BMW have still managed to give it an appealing note. The engine is refined, as one would expect from BMW, and power output is impressive from a 2.0-litre engine. Peak power of 180 kW is available between 5 000 and 6 500 r/min, meaning the engine enjoys revving, but between 1 250 and 4 000 r/min, 350 Nm of torque is available, helping to achieve the car’s 5.9 second 0 -100 km/h sprint time.

We also sampled the 320d whose engine we’re familiar with and which trades outright power for increased torque over that of the 328i’s. More torque lower down the rev range makes the 320d a pleasurable drive, but the big draw card is the fuel consumption, which BMW claims will average 4.4 L/100km in automatic guise. The engine in the range-topping 335i remains unchanged too, meaning a surge of acceleration on the back of impressive torque from the silky smooth straight-six. It’s thus no surprise that BMW took the opportunity to launch their new Afrox BMW 335i racing car on the launch too.

The 3 Series has always been an entertaining car to drive and this latest 3 is no exception. Despite having grown slightly longer and wider, the BMW 3 Series is also 40 kilograms lighter than before and, together with re-tuned suspension, feels lighter from behind the wheel and a little more nimble. ‘Driver Experience Control’ (DEC) is another new addition to the 3 Series that allows the driver to change the characteristics of the engine mapping, steering assistance, gearshift timing, throttle response and stability control threshold.

Faster, sharper, easier to drive, more spacious, more comfortable and the list goes on. First impressions of the new F30 are that BMW has moved the 3 Series on considerably, to the extent that its competitors should be more than a little concerned.

Pricing includes a 5-year / 100 000 km maintenance plan and 24-hour roadside assistance.

Comments

comments