Test BMW 320d M Sport 190 CV Auto. 8v (with video)

They say that sedans stockings They are not going through their best moment. It is true, because SUVs have cannibalized a good part of their sales. However, the premium models of the D-segment They continue to hold on very tightly. Today he joins us in Actualidad Motor one of the most loved sedans on the European market, the BMW Serie 3. We tried the BMW 320d, the 190 hp diesel, in M ​​Sport finish.

This model has nothing less than 40 years on the market, which is said soon, having already launched seven generations. In addition, during all this time it has been able to market more than 15 million units. To a large extent, its success is due to the dynamic character that has always characterized it. Some say that BMW is no longer what it was in that sense, that they no longer make passionate cars. Let's see if this BMW 3 Series G20 -internal code with which this generation is known- maintains that personality "made in BMW".

Conservative exterior, so better with M Sport trim

As usual, we are going to start with its exterior. In this case we are dealing with a unit with the M Sport sports package. You already know that it brings a more sporty touch to its image with bumpers, side skirts and various specific details, such as the wheels. In this case, even so, the wheels are optional. From my point of view, it suits you well, although I think that in previous generations the M package provided more dynamism than in this seventh generation. The price of this finish is about 4.500 euros.

If you look at your front, the Bavarian brand has preferred to opt for a continuous design. It is easily recognized as a Series 3, so much so that it can even be confused with a model of the predecessor generation. The headlights, which are LED as standard and optionally laser (for 2.278 euros) -as in our unit- are in contact with the main grill, now using a slight appendage.

In our case, the aforementioned traditional double kidney grill it is the optional one with the black finish “Intense gloss Shadow Line” (201 euros). By the way, it is now wider, although it does not look as gigantic as in the new X7 or Series 7. In addition, as in other models of the brand, this grille has a shutter that opens or closes depending on cooling needs, improving aerodynamics and allowing the engine to reach its optimum operating temperature sooner.

Seeing it from a side viewIt doesn't change too much either. We continue to see an elongated hood with the front axle very close to the front, allowing them to place the longitudinal engine behind the axle. This noticeably improves the behavior of the car. The silhouette is very smooth, ending at the trunk lid, where a slight optional spoiler appears (228 euros).

It has also slightly changed the Hofmeister curve, now integrated into the rear pillar. The 19-inch wheels are optional, with an extra cost of 2.255 euros since they also have Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S sports tires with a width of 225 mm at the front and 255 at the rear.

Going to the back, probably the area that stands out the least. For my taste, it is too sober and, in addition, the design of its pilots reminds me a lot of Lexus. Fortunately, BMW has not yet fallen into the fashion of hiding the exhaust outlet and, at the moment, all BMW 3 Series Saloons come with one real outlet on each side. I must admit, and although I don't really like to get into aesthetics, I like the style of the double exhaust outlet a lot.

Remarkable leap in quality inside

Shall we go to interior? Always, first of all, we must adjust the seat and the steering wheel. We have electrically adjustable seats in all directions, we can also adjust the width of the backrest and even extend its base to support the calves more or less. We also have lumbar support.

But like everything at BMW (and most premium brands), you have to pay for it. These seating of the tested unit are from “Black Vernasca Leather contrast stitching Blau” (1.651), or so the brand calls them. The lumbar support is paid (285 euros), the heating also (433 euros) and do not expect less from the electrical settings (with memory for the driver's) (1.367 euros). Are very very comfortable and nice, and they fit very well to the body whatever our size; but between everything we leave more than 3.500 euros in the seats...

Continuing with the adjustments, the steering wheel has a wide adjustment in height and depth, which together with the adjustments of the seat allows us to easily adopt a comfortable driving position. Nevertheless, the height of the belt cannot be adjusted, which seems like a mistake to me. Gentlemen, we are talking about safety, if the belt is incorrectly placed it loses part of its effectiveness. By the way, the belt decoration in BMW M colors it is also another optional (342 euros).

La driving position is very sporty. It reminds me a lot of the Alfa Romeo Giulia. We are seated very close to the ground and with our legs very stretched out, something that involves us more in driving and makes us perceive it as a car with a certain sporty air. We have a steering wheel very well covered although, to my taste, excessively thick, especially in the part of the thumb rest. Behind the horizontal spokes there are some cams that are made of plastic, but with a good touch and appearance.

El instrument panel now it's a full screen 10,3 inch digital. It looks good and allows some configurations, but the truth is that it does not reach the level of customization and graphics achieved by the Volkswagen Group models; and that I am not very sympathetic to the screens. Information and background colors will also change depending on the selected driving mode.

A positive point is that all the information is complemented by an interesting Head-Up Display (1.247 euros). It shows us data such as speed, limiter programming and cruise control, traffic signs and navigation instructions. It's big and looks pretty good, so I consider it an important extra.

If we go to the central part of the dashboard, there we are greeted by a 12 inch. Now it is tactile, but it can also be managed through the famous iDrive control on the center console (next to the gear lever). If we add the gesture control (342 euros), some functions such as raising or lowering the volume of the audio, or passing the song, can be done with a gesture. It doesn't always pay attention to us and it's not very useful because we can do these operations from the steering wheel without having to let go of one hand...

On the other hand, BMW has also joined the trend of personal assistants. BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, is named. She will wake up when we say "hi BMW”, and we can ask, for example, “what will the weather be like tomorrow in Madrid?”, and it will give us the weather information. It also has artificial intelligence, so it will learn from us and our daily habits.

Continuing with the interior, below the screen we have the air conditioning controls. It is good news that they are not integrated into the main screen, but I think BMW should have resorted to some simple spinners for temperature control. In this model it is modified by means of a button that practically forces us to divert our eyes from the road. With roulette wheels it would be much simpler and more intuitive, from my point of view.

Already in the central tunnel, the selector lever for automatic change. On your left we have some buttons to deactivate the traction control, activate the exterior cameras, turn off the Start & Stop and control the driving modes (Sport, Comfort and Eco Pro). Also the handbrake, which is now electric. On the right we have the iDrive controller mentioned above and quick access buttons for the different infotainment menus.

If we talk about slide holes, in front of the gear lever there is a hole with a cover that hides two bottle holders, a USB socket and the wireless charging surface. There's also gaps in the doors that allow us to place small objects or two small bottles; a pity that they are not lined to avoid noise. To these must be added a padded center armrest without regulation in height and depth but with which I have felt quite comfortable; if we lift it up there is another space to empty our pockets and c-type sockets.

Finally, before moving to the rear seats, highlight that BMW has made a significant leap in quality inside. There are many materials that are soft and of good perceived quality, both to the eye and to the touch. This is noticeable when passing your hand over certain elements, such as the dashboard or the door trim, or when operating the power windows or turn signals.

Everything is well padded and not a single cricket appears. In addition, it is also appreciated that they have not opted for piano black either. Under the way I see it, far above Mercedes and practically on par with Audi, which has always been a benchmark.

The BMW 3 Series is not a car for five occupants

Leaving the front part of the passenger compartment and passing to the rear seats, we must bear in mind that it is a relatively short car, so to access behind here you have to bend down something more than usual if we do not want to hit our heads on the ceiling. This will not particularly appeal to older people, although it will not be too serious a problem either.

Once we are in the rear seats, you can see the increase in wheelbase relative to the predecessor. He is 1,76 and with the front seat adjusted to my usual position, I have seven or eight fingers left on my knees. Also, I have enough space to place the feet and there are several centimeters left before it touches the ceiling with its head. The stool is comfortable and the door has materials that are pleasant to the touch and soft.

What we practically have to rule out is a trip with five occupants. The central square is very impractical, since the passenger compartment is clearly configured for four occupants despite having a central square. The backrest is hard and hides an armrest with bottle holders, while the transmission tunnel is very large. That said, the same for a short journey it can be done, but a trip I would rule it out.

For the rest, in the back of the front seats we have nets to put some newspaper, magazines or other papers. In the transmission tunnel we find air outlets with temperature regulation (tri-zone climate control), two USB Type-C sockets, and a 12-volt plug.

This is your trunk

El BMW 3 Series G20 has a trunk of 480 liters, which is a normal capacity for this segment. It has not grown compared to the previous model, but BMW says that the loading mouth is now a little wider. As usual in these sedans of three volumes, the loading and unloading of heavy objects is not comfortable through the manhole and rigid tray. By the way, it can be opened from the remote, with a button on the cover itself or by passing your foot under the bumper.

If you are looking for greater comfort, I recommend that you bet on the bodywork BMW 3 Series Touring G21 just released. It has 20 liters more, which is not much more, but it will be significantly more practical and we will be able to load larger objects. Of course, you may not like your rear as much as that of the sedan. With equal mechanics the price difference is about 2.200 euros. There it is. It's your decision.

Mechanical range of the BMW 3 Series

Having seen all of the above, let's move on to the mechanical offer. The BMW 3 Series Saloon is available with three petrol and as many diesel engines. In addition, you can also opt for a plug-in hybrid version, which is called 330e and gives 292 hp.

Engines gasoline currently available are 320i, 330i and M340i xDrive. The first two are four-cylinder, with 184 and 258 hp. The latest is an inline six with 374 hp, Meanwhile, the offer diesel It is made up of the 318d, 320d and 330d. Similarly, the first two are four-cylinder, giving 150 and 190 hp, while the last is six-cylinder and develops 265 hp.

All BMW 3 Series are combined as standard with the Steptronic automatic gearbox 8-speed, except for the BMW 318d which comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. Regarding the system of traction, all are rear-wheel drive except the M340i, which comes standard with the xDrive system. Anyway, all-wheel drive is offered as an option on several of the available engines.

BMW 320d, benefits on paper

We are testing the BMW 320d. It is a block with 2 liters, four cylinders and 16 valves with variable geometry turbo and, of course, direct fuel injection. Gives 190 hp at 4.000 rpm and 400 Nm of torque between 1.750 and 2.500. The transmission is an 8-speed Steptronic automatic.

Theoretically it is able to do a 0 to 100 in 6,8 seconds and one 240 km / h peak. Its combined consumption barely reaches 4,5 l/100, although in real life it is somewhat higher. Now we are going to get started and I will tell you how this mechanical variant goes that It starts at 43.700 euros.

At the wheel: Yes, it maintains its sporty character!

First of all, I wanted to tell you that months ago I was able to drive it for a few minutes at its national presentation. They weren't very long or very varied routes, but the feeling I got was of a well-made car that was especially comfortable on the road, but that had lost part of its charm due to the lack of a dynamic character.

At that time I tried a unit with this same engine, the 20 hp 190d diesel, but linked to all-wheel drive xDrive, and the Luxury finish with the standard suspension, that is, a very configuration oriented to comfort. Now, with the M Sport package, sports suspension, variable sports steering and simple rear drive, the sensations have been much more dynamic. We start with the engine.

La 20d version it is already mythical in Series 3, becoming famous in the E46 generation, that is, three generations ago. Since then she has evolved considerably. This block, as I said before, gives 190 hp and a generous torque of 400 Nm. Unless we seek a very, very strong response, it will be more than enough to move with great agility to the Series 3.

It accelerates very well and recover fantastically, even if we go with several passengers. Also, gets along very well with the Steptronic box 8-speed, which is smooth to maneuver and when we do not step on the accelerator much, and quite fast in Sport mode or when we use the transmission in manual mode. I really liked this combination of engine and transmission.

For the rest, and although it is well insulated, In the city, its diesel condition is noticeable a bit due to the sound, something that is appreciated even more if we do not go with the windows completely closed. There is no trace of vibrations. Once on the road it is very smooth and goes completely unnoticed. You don't know if you're driving a diesel or a gasoline... unless you accelerate hard and rev the engine.

If we talk about its suspension, this unit brings the sports suspension. It is tougher than what we usually find in the segment, allowing a cornering very fast and stable, turning very flat and quick change of direction, something that sports tires also help Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S that mounts this unit. Obviously, it is not as comfortable if we travel on roads in poor condition, but I do not consider it to be an uncomfortable car either.

As well I really liked the touch of your address, despite the fact that the thickness of the steering wheel does not convince me, as I said above. He has the variable sports steering as standard, which is very precise and fast. The combination of this direction with the suspension is fantastic, because the truth is that the front train is registered very quickly in the curves, with very little roll.

The whole set itself, and that we have a diesel engine, It allows us to enjoy this car a lot in sections of curves. Just put the Sport driving mode, the transmission in manual and simply play cornering. In addition, stability control allows a very slight oversteer to round off the exit of the curves, something that is quite pleasant. If we go too far, the rescue aids immediately come in, keeping everything under control and very safely.

on expressways it is a comfortable car, although it is true that sudden potholes, such as the expansion joints of bridges, are perceived. aerodynamically it is well insulated, with thick glass both in the front windshield and in the side windows to filter outside noise.

Finally, it's time to talk about consumptions. at a normal rate for freeway not thirsty at all, settling for a few 5,5 liters at 100, or even a little less. However, we have noticed that varies quite a bit depending on driving style. If we drive a little more sporty, especially on somewhat ratty roads, consumption rises significantly. The same thing happens in the city. Our mixed final when it comes to returning the car it was 6,4 l/100 km.

Conclusions

The BMW 3 Series has not disappointed. During this week of tests he has shown us that keep up the sports spirit that characterizes him, but also that he has given a very clear leap in perceived quality inside, using high-quality materials. So much so that the way I see it, in that sense it is very close to the Audi A4 and far exceeds the Mercedes C-Class.

And since we've talked about some of his rivals, let's review. In terms of sporty driving dynamics we have the Alfa Giulia, in visible technology and ride comfort there is the Mercedes C-Class, in interior quality the Audi. The BMW is not as comfortable as its two compatriots, but it proves to be clearly superior in driving sensations. The Italian also has an even sportier touch, but its qualities are far from those achieved by the BMW. Which to choose? It just depends on what you are looking for..

Related article:

BMW 3 Series Touring, eager to continue the path of success

Regarding the Prices, the Series 3 sedan starts at 38.600 with the 318d manual. If we go to the BMW 320d 190 hp are 43.700 euros starting. Personally, I think I'd go for it. new 3 Series Touring It's hitting dealerships right now. With mechanical equality there is 2.200 euros difference, but I think it's worth it for the greater practicality. Of course, maybe its "rancher" aesthetic doesn't finish convincing you...

As you have seen, this unit comes loaded with extras. So much so that of the 43.700 euros starting price of the 320d, it goes up to -HOLD ON- 70.000 euros according to configurator. It is an almost prohibitive price, but of course, it brings practically all the extras. I think it's better to settle for a slightly less equipped unit...

Related article:

Test Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 2.0 Turbo 200 CV Auto 8v.

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Here you have the restyling of the Mercedes C-Class, which inherits the technology of the S-Class

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Test Audi A4 2.0 TDI 150 CV, the technological benchmark

Equipment

Serial

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• PDC parking distance control
• puncture repair kit
• Climate
• Leather steering wheel
• Active Guard Plus
• TeleServices
• Mandatory emergency call
• Connected Drive Services
• Connected Package
• Folding rear seats
• Anti-theft wheel bolts
• Auto-dimming interior mirror

Sport (adds)

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Specific exterior aesthetics
• Fabric/Sensatec Black combination
• High-gloss black interior trim
• BMW Live Cockpit Plus
• Adaptive cruise control
• Connected Package Plus
• Sports front seats
• Interior and exterior mirror package
• Ambient light
• LED fog lights
• Single Shadow Line

Luxury

• Specific 17-inch alloy wheels
• Specific exterior aesthetics
• Interior in Vernasca Leather Black quilted
• Paneling
• sensatec dashboard

M sport

• Specific 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels with different sizes on the rear axle
• Interior combination Alcantara/Sensatec Black/Blue contrast stitching
• Tetragon aluminum interior trim
• Interior headlining in anthracite black
• Variable Sport Steering
• M sport suspension
• M aerodynamic package

Prices BMW 3 Series Saloon

Editor's opinion

• Editor's rating
• 4.5 star rating
• Exceptional

^€38.600 a ^€71.200

• 80%

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• BMW 3 Series 320d 190 hp M Sport
• Review of: Diego Avila
• Posted on:
• Last modification:

• Exterior design

  Publisher: 65%
• interior design

  Publisher: 85%
• front seats

  Publisher: 75%
• rear seats

  Publisher: 75%
• Trunk

  Publisher: 70%
• Spring Suspension

  Publisher: 85%
• Consumption

  Publisher: 80%
• Comfort

  Publisher: 80%
• Price

  Publisher: 60%

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Gallery BMW 3 Series

More information about this model

BMW Serie 3

• Plazas 5
• Power 150 - 374 hp
• Consumer goods 1,3 - 7,8l/100km
• Assessment 4,7