BMW SA updates 3 Series with fresh design

The BMW 3 Series has served as a rock-solid premium sedan package for decades. The G20 seventh generation range has arrived in SA with updates, otherwise known as a Life Cycle Intervention (LCI) in BMW parlance.

It’s available in 318i, 320i, 320d, 330i M Sport and flagship M340i xDrive guises, while the 330d has been dropped from the catalogue.  

Visually, the latest 3 Series is a more imposing and eye-catching design. There’s a new front apron with a deeper recess and thick, L-shaped air intakes in high-gloss black, a redesigned kidney grille and slimmer standard fitment LED headlights. The latter also accommodate daytime driving lights, arranged in an inverted L shape. 

The new BMW 3 Series is available as standard in Sport trim, but styling can be strengthened further with the M Sport package. There is a honeycomb pattern for the BMW kidney grille, a different design for front and rear aprons and M light-alloy wheels in 18-inch format with mixed-size tyres. 

The M340i xDrive also gets a mesh design kidney grille, M exterior mirror caps in black high-gloss 19-inch M light-alloy wheels and trapezoidal tailpipes. You can also build up to the optional M Sport package Pro, which brings extended M high-gloss Shadowline trim, M lights Shadowline and M sport brakes with red calipers.  

The exterior colour palette has expanded to include Skyscraper Grey metallic and M Brooklyn Grey metallic as part of the M Sport package, while BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey metallic and Frozen Tanzanite Blue metallic can also be had in the range. 

Major changes are found inside where a new BMW curved display is now standard fitment across the range. This is a high-resolution 12.3-inch information display behind the steering wheel and a 14.9-inch main display in the dashboard.  

Along with a number of deleted buttons, BMW’s best-selling model also gains a flush new transmission selector. The accompanying usual stack of buttons on the centre console has also been minimised to only the start/stop button, iDrive controller, driving experience control buttons and parking brake. Voice and touch engagement are now in charge of features.  

The ample space for passengers is unchanged but three-zone automatic climate control and navigation are now standard across the range, as are park distance control with front and rear sensors. It’s still a roomy sedan with plenty of toys. 

At the launch drive we only had the 320d and M340i to experience, starting with the former that’s powered by a four-cylinder turbo diesel with 140kW and 400Nm on tap. The luxury cruising and sports driving sensations was evident, and the eight-speed automatic transmission used in all models offers silky cog-swaps. The plush drive is sensational.  

The diesel engine is no slouch and it gathers serious speeds when you are in the mood, and is just as masterful when cornering fast. BMW claims an impressive 5.0l/100km fuel consumption.

The range-topping M340i xDrive is just as comfortable riding, but kicks out a more potent 285kW and 500Nm from its 3.0l six-cylinder engine driving all the wheels. It bridges the gap between the relatively affordable and conventional 3 Series models and the pricier BMW M athletes. 

Pricing

BMW 318i — R767 894

BMW 318i M Sport — R817 894

BMW 320i — R832,894

BMW 320i M Sport — R882,894

BMW 320d — R880,768

BMW 320d M Sport — R930,768

BMW 330i M Sport — R953,197

BMW M340i xDrive — R1,338,207

All BMW 3 Series models come standard with a two-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and a five-year/100,000km maintenance plan.