BMW 3 Series 2019 Review

As we outlined when it debuted at the 2018 Paris motor show, the 2019 BMW 3 Series is based on the same CLAR modular platform as the bigger new 5 Series and 7 Series limousine.

Compared to its predecessor it’s 76mm longer overall (4709mm), 41mm longer in wheelbase (2851mm), 16mm wider (1827mm), has 43mm and 21mm wider front and rear wheel tracks respectively, a 10mm lower centre of gravity despite being 1mm higher overall (1442mm), and brings class-leading aerodynamics with a 0.23Cd.

It’s 55kg lighter on average yet its body is not only bigger but a whole 25 per cent more rigid, and BMW’s hallmark 50/50 front/rear weight distribution continues.

There is also increased negative wheel camber and new tapered hydraulic damper units all round, plus revised five-link rear suspension and a specific new double-joint spring/strut set-up up front, and retuned variable sports steering.

All this makes the new 3 Series more dynamic, as we discovered at the global launch in December, and as promised by BMW development boss Klaus Frohlich in response to claims the last ‘real’ 3 Series was the E46.

Differentiated by a sharper full-length shoulder line now above the door-handles, redesigned Hoffmeister kink, new-look signature-LED headlights with a notch in the lower edge, LED fog lights, a broader rear-end with darkened 3D LED tail-lights and new Portimao blue paint, the slipperier new 3 Series features an almost fully sealed underbody and air curtains in its active kidney grille.

Upgraded engines make all models quicker and more efficient (see below), while a new multi-layer glass laminating process for the windscreen (and side glass as an option) reduces cabin noise.

BMW Australia says value for money also increases, with a claimed $11,000-plus worth of extra standard equipment for the 330i, which was the volume-seller of the outgoing line-up at 48 per cent.

However, as we reported in January, when local pricing and specs were announced, admission to the 2019 BMW 3 Series range is at least $10,000 more expensive than before.

That’s because the entry-level 320i doesn’t arrive until later this year, alongside the new 330e plug-in hybrid and flagship M340i xDrive, and the previous three-cylinder 318i entry model ($57,300) won’t be replaced.

Naturally, although the 3 Series Gran Turismo has been axed, the G20 3 Series sedan range will be joined by a new Touring wagon derivative within 12 months, crowned by a new M3 sports sedan and followed by redesigned two-door M4 Coupe and Convertible models.

For now, the 2019 BMW 3 Series line-up comprises two turbocharged four-cylinder models: the 320d diesel priced at an unchanged $67,900 plus on-road costs, and the 330i petrol priced at an unchanged $70,900 plus ORCs.

Both models come exclusively with an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, meaning a manual transmission is no longer available.

To recap, the base 320d is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that delivers 140kW of power and 400Nm of torque, can accelerate the oiler to 100km/h from rest in 6.8 seconds and sips just 4.5 litres of diesel per 100km on the WLTP test.

Standard equipment on the 320d includes 18-inch alloy wheels, M Sport suspension, adaptive LED headlights, LED fog lights, M Sport package, Alcantara/Sensatec upholstery, head-up display, automated park assistant, BMW Live Cockpit Professional incorporating a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch central touch-screen, Apple CarPlay, wireless smartphone charging and 10-speaker/205-Watt sound with DAB+ digital radio and 20GB of music storage.

On the safety front, BMW’s Driving Assistant package is standard, which includes lane-departure warning, lane-change warning, front collision and approach control (autonomous emergency braking), rear-end collision warning and speed sign recognition.

There is no Android Auto connectivity and key features missing from the 320d (and therefore likely the upcoming 320i, but not the 330i or upcoming 330e and M340i) include variable damping, lane-keeping and full-stop AEB; the 320d only provides light braking to mitigate collision damage between 5-85km/h.

For an extra $3000, the BMW 330i brings a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with the same torque (190kW/400Nm – up5kW/50Nm), reducing the claimed 0-100km/h time by a second to 5.8sec and increasing fuel consumption to 6.4L/100km (WLTP).

Additional standard equipment for the 330i includes adaptive M suspension, M Sport (Brembo) brakes, 19-inch alloys, comfort access, Vernasca leather trim and Driving Assistant Professional, allowing hands/feet-off driving for up to 25 seconds.

Via three cameras and radar, the Level 2 autonomous tech includes active cruise control with stop/go functionality, steering and lane control assist, and front cross-traffic alert.

Both the 320d and 330i offer the same 480-litre boot capacity as before but a new interior with redesigned dashboard, centre console and multi-function steering wheel, plus the M Sport cosmetic package (Luxury Line trim is a no-cost option) and Reversing Assistant from the new X5, which can steer itself out of tight parking spaces for up to 50 metres.

Both models also offer BMW’s latest iDrive operating system 7.0, offering remote software upgrades for the first time, up to two USB map updates a year, Remote Services app connectivity and Microsoft Office 365, which can manage calendars and read emails when stationary.

An optional visibility package ($5070) adds metallic paint, laser high-beam headlights from the X5, glass sunroof and ambient lighting, while the comfort package ($2600 320d; $1820 330i) adds lumbar support in the seats, an automatic bootlid, front seat heating and comfort access.

A new M Sport Plus package ($2990 320d; $2600 330i) adds M Sport brakes and 19-inch alloys to the 320d, plus M Sport differential (330i) and an M rear spoiler and tricolour M seatbelts.

Many of these features can be had individually, including a sunroof ($2900), Laserlights ($1900), M Sport diff (330i: $2400), M Sport brakes (320d: $1400), adaptive M suspension (320d: $1100) and M rear spoiler ($400).

Also on the optional extras list is a range of wheel, leather, trim and paint options -- the latter including a range of metallic hues for $2000 – but the only standard colours are black and Alpine white.

The new BMW 3 Series can also be had with a host of optional BMW Performance Parts – as fitted to a 330i we drove at the launch – including 20-inch Y-spoke black M wheels ($8129 fitted), a matt-black front splitter ($1855), carbon rear diffuser ($2249), carbon rear spoiler ($1589), side skirts ($1478), gloss-black kidney grille ($708), floor mats ($608), floating centre caps ($185) and turned M valve caps ($35).

BMW’s standard warranty covers three years and unlimited kilometres and prepaid servicing for the first five years or 80,000km of 3 Series ownership costs $1565 ($4110 including brakes and wipers), which is much less than its competitors.

In a word? Brilliant. Indeed that was our verdict after driving it in Portugal last year, and we’re even more impressed following an extended thrash in the Victorian High Country this week.

But let’s rewind for a second and preface this by saying all cars at launch were fitted with adaptive M suspension, which is an $1100 option on the base 320d and standard only on the 330i.

Combined with the lighter yet more rigid body and reworked suspension, the variable damping system brings a far greater difference between Comfort and Sport modes and we’d wager is well worth extra dollars.

Neither setting is what you’d call plush, but Comfort mode is considerably more compliant than Sport and offers the sort of ride quality you’d happily live with every day, even on the most sub-standard suburban or country roads.

Yet it also delivers an astonishing level of body control and mid-turn grip, even over the roughest mid-turn bumps.

The bigger footprint delivers grip for days and the 3 Series feels like it can be thrown into almost any corner at almost any speed without getting unruffled.

Dive into a bend too fast and too deep? No problem; the G20 allows you to stand on the picks and change direction at the same time without almost any understeer, then hunkers down and begs you to get back on the gas before you’ve even hit the apex.

Go beyond the limit of adhesion and intimately calibrated stability control seamlessly quells almost all understeer on the way in, then lets the back-end drift just enough to help you turn on the way out.

Engage Sport mode and there’s even more mid-corner stability and greater accuracy in the superbly weighted steering, which is completely free of any rattle, kick or bump steer, allowing you more deeply access the 3 Series’ inherent chassis balance.

Throw in the M Sport rear differential and front brakes (only the latter is available in the 320d) and the 330i makes even better use of the G20’s bigger footprint, allowing you to dance around in corners with more confidence than an Alfa Giulia and get on the power earlier than a Benz C-Class.

Yes, innate cornering balance and steering so full of feel that you know exactly what it will do next combines more perfectly in the G20 than in any 3 Series we can think of since the 2000 M3 CSL.

The Mk7 3 Series excels under the bonnet too, with the silky-smooth 320d turbo-diesel spinning freely to 5000rpm and the 330i turbo-petrol offering the same flexibility without too much turbo lag, but the added bonus of about 2000 more revs.

Both 2.0-litre turbo fours mate so well with their slick-shifting eight-speed autos that few purists will miss the option of a six-speed manual.

But the fact is the G20 chassis offers so much poise and feedback – despite the overly chubby steering wheel rim, which just feels too overdone – that even the feistier 330i makes you want for the M340i turbo-six. So the next M3 should be a very special sports sedan indeed.

The seventh-generation 3 Series brings far more than just an accomplished chassis though. Some have criticised the exterior design as same-same but it presents a host of adventurous new design elements if you look closely enough and cannot be mistaken for anything but a 3 Series on the road, where it oozes presence.

Inside, there’s a vast reduction in cabin noise but the biggest impact comes from the improvement in materials quality and technology, led by the sexy new digital instrument cluster, classy central touch-screen and intuitive head-up display.

A clunky lidded bin underneath the centre stack is the only blight on the more luxurious, highly ergonomic and well presented interior, which feels roomier in all directions but especially in terms of rear head room.

There’s also enough new technology to make it the most intelligent model BMW currently offers, but it’s the brilliant chassis that really defines the new 3 Series and returns the nameplate to its roots and the succession of agile 3ers that made BMW famous.

Although the Bavarian brand stops short of claiming the new 3 Series will outsell its German nemesis – or indeed its own SUVs, which now account for 60 per cent of BMW sales – let alone resurrect the plunging mid-size premium car segment, it does claim the G20 delivers class-leading dynamics and will therefore be more popular than the F30 it replaces.

It will take a head-to-head comparo to say for sure, but after our first Aussie drive there’s no doubt this is the best 3 Series in generations and probably the most dynamic medium sedan available right now.

It couldn’t have arrived at a worse time, but the new 3 Series is BMW at its best and a future classic that deserves to be more popular than any SUV.

How much does the 2019 BMW 320d and 330i cost?
Price: $67,900 plus ORCs (320d); $70,900 plus ORCs (330i)
Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel; 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Outputs: 140kW/400Nm; 190kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 4.5L/100km; 6.4L/100km
CO2: 119g/km; 147g/km
Safety rating: TBC