BMW 320d Luxury 2016 Review

BMW 320d Luxury
Road Test

BMW cashes in on proven strengths with its recently updated 3 Series. In $65,780 (plus on-road costs) 320d Luxury-spec diesel sedan form it impresses with its refinement, on-road dynamics and a sweet balance of power and frugality. But despite a new(ish) look, mechanical tweaks and the inclusion of a swag of new standard equipment items across the board, it's more of the same in a segment populated by generally fresher competition.

For BMW, a world without the 3 Series and its derivatives would be a vastly different place.

Although, like many car-makers these days, BMW is heavily weighted towards SUV sales, the mid-size 3 Series is the stalwart of its regular passenger-car lineup. It's what has kept the company's presence in the segment going, outselling (just) even the ascendant 1 and 2 Series models, and well above the larger 5, 6 and 7 Series.

In a way, it has long defined the premium mid-size passenger segment and has fathered many BMW road car legends such as the M3, as well as a long line of desirable convertibles and coupes.

As it always has been, the 3 Series (and its 4 Series Coupe and Convertible siblings) is under siege by German, British and Japanese competitors, and in 2015 it surrendered a narrow sales lead to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. That the fundamentally three-years old BMW has consistently been bubbling near the top of the class is, however, indicative of how successful it is.

Part of the credit must go to the May 2015 update that has kept the 3 Series on the radar with buyers of premium mid-size cars.

Showing off some design fiddles affecting the external aesthetics and featuring across-the-board equipment upgrades that bring such things as a new head-up display, LED headlights, lane-change warning, sat-nav, ConnectedDrive internet, DAB+ digital radio and a 360-degree camera system, even the base 3 Series is a convincing premium-class contender.

The 3 Series/4 Series model line-up includes sedans, wagons, convertibles, coupes and M3 variants as well as a wide range of powertrain options, from a three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbo-petrol through four and six-cylinder turbo-petrols to a four-cylinder turbo-diesel, all driving through eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmissions.

Here, we are focussing on the Luxury-spec 320d turbo-diesel, which – along with 420d Coupes and Convertibles – is the sole 3 Series oil-burner, and sits near the top of the sedan range with a pre-ORCs price tag of $65,780. The 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a member of the company's new EfficientDynamics engine family and winds out a bit more power and torque than its 135kW/380Nm predecessor.

Being a diesel doesn't mean any lack of energy, but it does mean a lack of appetite for fuel. The claimed combined consumption is 4.4L/100km and the clean exhaust emits just 116g/km of CO2, putting it on a more or less even footing with the Benz C 250 d if not quite matching the Jaguar XE diesel's 4.2L/100km and 111g/km.

Real-world use in our case saw the BMW returning a pretty decent 6.1L/100km which, although it didn't come close to matching the official figure, was still good enough to impress. And, over time, we reckon the figure would have improved.

There is no real downside here: The single-turbo power pack is generally pretty quiet and respectful, only noticeable when idling in a confined space, or when the driver plants the foot to get off the line quickly. This action brings respectable if not stunning acceleration as the 320d accelerates from zero to 100km/h in 7.2sec while – with that muscular 400Nm coming in from just 1750rpm – delivering excellent mid-range punch when overtaking on the open road. The redline is impressive for a diesel at 5400rpm.

The eight-speed auto has the (now wider) ratios and the slick, sharp-shifting capabilities to help promote the awareness this is a refined, premium driveline capable of delivering a smooth stream of accelerative power in which downshifts and upshifts occur pretty much when the tuned-in driver reckons they should. The transmission comes with switchable ECO PRO or SPORT modes, the former incorporating a coasting function that disconnects the engine when the accelerator is lifted at higher speeds to help with economy.

The 3 Series also got a bit of a suspension rework with the 2015 update. This included a general stiffening-up of springs and dampers, as well as some work on the steering that is claimed to make it sharper than before, yet the ride quality is still acceptably absorbent. This includes the impact harshness once negatively influenced by run-flat tyres (225/45-series on the 320d) that is now entirely acceptable.

In terms of sportily-inclined on-road behaviour it's more BMW than the pre-update 3 Series, if not quite as driver-pleasing as, for example, Jaguar's new XE.

Cabin accommodation remains as per the previous model: That is, there's decent space for adult passengers in both front and rear – although back-seat occupants will find the legroom is adequate, rather than generous. That said, the current model is way better than 3 Series of yore and better than the aforementioned Jag.

On the leather-trimmed, power-operated front seats, both driver and passenger are given plenty of adjustment to play with, even if the cushioning is not as laterally supportive as the cosy, cosseting seats used in the Sport 320d variant. The 3 Series boot, displacing 480 litres, is cleanly shaped and accessible via a split-fold rear seat, and is the equal of its Benz and Audi competitors.

Six airbags, and a full complement of safety electronics including the lane-change waring already mentioned, as well low-speed collision mitigation, a blind-spot sensor and a rear-view camera, all qualify the 3 Series for a comfortable five-star ANCAP safety rating.

If we were to criticise the BMW 320d, our observations would come down to relatively minor things: There's not a lot of storage space for small items in the cabin, the handbrake (some may disagree) is a basic, pull-up lever type and the auto transmission selector is set up in a way that makes it too easy to engage reverse when your real intention is to select the park mode; a matter of acclimatisation, really.

Other than those small points, the 3 Series continues to remind why it has stood the test of time so well. In some ways it might be aging when compared with its generally fresher competitors (including the current Benz C-Class, Jaguar's XE and Audi's new A4) but, in the end, it still flies the BMW flag with all the quality, style and verve we expect from a premium front-runner.

2016 BMW 320d Luxury sedan pricing and specifications:
Price: $65,780 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 4.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 116g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Mercedes-Benz C250 d (from $70,400 plus ORCs)
>> Jaguar XE 20d (from $66,800 plus ORCs)
>> Audi A4 S Sport (petrol, from $65,900)