BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo 2013 Review

The idea is not new within BMW, as the 5 Series GT pioneered the five-door hatchback combined with raised ride height back in 2010.

But BMW does expect the cheaper and somewhat more sveltely designed 3 Series GT to be more popular with buyers than the 5.

Offering a longer wheelbase and therefore more space than the 3 Series sedan or Touring, while not going all blocky and square like an SUV, is one of the 3 GT’s primary charms BMW argues.

It’s classic niche thinking, something all three German manufacturers are into these days as they move up, down and sideways looking to plug every possible sales opportunity.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

Compared to the equivalent sedan they are all $10,900 more expensive. Compared to the Touring 320i and 328i the gap is around $4000 less. But the only diesel Touring is a 318d and the gap blows out to $12,900.

Standard equipment across the three models includes heat/sun protection glass, dual-zone climate control, Dakota leather upholstery, leather multi-function steering wheel, and electrically adjusted front seats with memory (and powered lumbar support in the 328i).

BMW’s storage package, 40:20:40 split rear seat backrest with reclining function and automatic tailgate -- although it is one piece rather than the tricky two-piece opening that has just been dropped from the 5 Series GT -- are also included.

Both the 320i and 320d receive a business navigation system that includes 6.5-inch display with iDrive controller and six programmable memory buttons, as well as a USB audio interface.

The 328i comes equipped with BMW’s professional navigation system, which incorporates an 8.8-inch, high resolution colour display, DVD drive, 3D map, bird’s eye view and a 20GB hard drive for storage and playback of audio files as well as internet functionality, extended Bluetooth function including audio streaming and a nine speaker HiFi loudspeaker system.

The GTs also include one of the 3 Series ‘lines’ as standard, with the option of either Modern, Luxury or Sports, each offering a different packaging of interior and exterior trims, upholstery colours and ‘line’ specific design elements. The 3 sedan and Touring charge extra for lines, which closes the pricing gap.

A long list of options including M adaptive suspension, variable sports steering and sport seats are available.

MECHANICAL

The 3 Series GT is powered by a choice of three turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines. Two of them are from the new petrol N20 family, the 320i and the 328i, while the diesel is a common rail direct-injected unit that is distributed far and wide throughout the BMW range.

All three power their rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

The 320i produces 135kW and 270Nm, accelerates from 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds and claims a combined fuel consumption average of 6.2L/100km while emitting 145g CO2/km.

The 320d’s key numbers are 135kW, 380Nm, 7.9 secs 0-100km/h, just 4.9L/100km and 129g CO2/km.

The 328i produces 180kW, 350Nm, sprints from 0-100km/h in 6.1 secs, averages 6.5L/100km and emits 151g CO2/km.

Fuel consumption is aided by a bunch of Efficient Dynamics -- as BMW dubs them -- technologies including idle stop-start, brake energy regeneration, electric power steering and ECO PRO mode in the Driving Experience Control (DEC).

DEC also includes Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes.

In ECO PRO throttle and engine mapping is retarded, transmission shift speeds are slowed and current drawn for the climate control, heating and even mirror heating is limited.

Comfort is the default setting which frees the car up somewhat, while Sport makes the throttle mapping more responsive, sharpens the auto shift speed and weights the steering. If the car is fitted with M Adaptive suspension that also gets stiffer. Sport+ also raises the stability control threshold.

Fuel consumption and aerodynamics are also aided by the GT’s undercarriage panelling, an active spoiler (a first from BMW) that automatically raises at 110km/h and retracts at 70km/h (it can also be manually operated) and an exit vent behind the front wheel arch to smooth air flow. BMW claims a 0.29 Cd.

Rolling on the 110mm longer wheelbase first developed for the extended Chinese market 3 Series sedan, the 3 GT also gets an extra 25mm of suspension travel for its front double-joint spring-strut (McPherson strut derivative) and rear multi-link suspension.

It rides on 18-inch run-flat rubber at minimum and does not come fitted with a spare tyre. Brakes are single piston calliper working on vented discs.

Unsurprisingly, kerb weights are up -- roughly 50kg to 100kg -- compared to the smaller sedan and Touring, while the turning circle is 0.5m larger at 11.8m.

The GT shares not one exterior panel with the sedan and Touring. Up-front the bonnet is re-profiled while the front quarter panels have the new boomerang-shaped vents cut into them. The front apron design is also new. While the windscreen angle is the same as the other 3s, the GT gets frameless doors for its five-door hatchback body.

The overall result is quite good looking. It certainly hides its height and bulk better than the 5 Series GT.

PACKAGING
>>Stretching space
Compared to both the 3 Series sedan and Touring, the GT is 200mm longer overall, 110mm longer in the wheelbase, 79mm taller and 17mm wider.

Inside, the GT’s advantage over the other 3s is mostly found in the rear seat where BMW claims an extra 70mm of legroom, bringing it up to almost 7 Series limo levels. However, according to BMW’s own figures the GT offers less shoulder and elbow room in the rear and more in the front than the other two 3s.

In the real world what is truly apparent is this is a much more spacious car in the rear seat than its siblings. There is enough leg space for anyone this side of an LA Laker to be comfortable. Headroom isn’t quite so generous because of the sloping roof, but it’s not too bad.

Storage includes a drop-down armrest with lidded bin and double cupholders, door bins and storage nets on the seat-backs. The climate control system has visible vents on the rear of the centre console and is adjustable.

Big doors aid exit and entry but the significant transmission tunnel discourages anyone from sitting in the middle rear seat.

At 520 litres the standard luggage space is 25 litres more than the Touring and 40 litres more than the sedan. Drop the 40:20:40 rears eat and the space out to 1600 litres, 100 litres more than the Touring.

The boot space provided is long and a tad narrow, with a strap on the left, a string net on the right and adjustment rails on the floor. There are bins with removeable dividers under the floor where the spare tyre should be. The long tailgate window makes for good visibility but it doesn’t have a wiper.

Up-front it’s the usual BMW fare -- so logical, quite simple and quite understated. You might say dull. There are garnishes and inserts but they weren’t prominent in the cars we drove, although the various lines do provide the opportunity to jazz things up.

Excellent seats always help win us over to BMW interiors, while storage opportunities shave been much improved in recent years. But really, Audi does a much better job here.

SAFETY
>>No rear side airbags
The BMW 3 Series gains a maximum five star EuroNCAP rating, but that was awarded to a left-hand drive diesel sedan tested in Europe.

Standard GT safety gear includes front, front-side and curtain airbags -- rear passengers miss out on side airbags -- active protection accident preparation, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and cornering brake control, dynamic braking lights, anti-dazzle interior mirror, a rear view camera, and rain sensor with automatic headlight control.

Head-up display, surround view, lane change and lane departure warning and adaptive bi-Xenon headlights with high-beam assist are all optional.

COMPETITORS
>>Not many! But one significant one…
There aren’t many prestige and luxury hatchbacks kicking around, but the obvious competitor for the GT is the Audi A5 Sportback, which comes as everything from a $66,900 front-wheel drive 1.8-litre petrol-turbo four-cylinder to a $112,400 supercharged petrol all-wheel drive.

Apart from that the cupboard is pretty bare. Mercedes-Benz offers nothing similar, the Volkswagen CC is a sedan, and the Skoda Superb is cheaper and older. Maybe some of the more fashionable SUVs like the Range Rover Evoque?

Where’s the Saab 9-5 when you need it?

ON THE ROAD

But in reality much is familiar.

The latest F30 3 series sedan is a different beast to what has gone before, softening up the edges, becoming that touch more mainstream and generally calming down a bit. Probably much like its buying audience.

And it’s a more relaxed attitude that suits the GT.

The smooth performance of the N20 petrol engines and the grunt of the diesel remain familiar, as does the lovely way they mesh with the ZF automatic transmission for relaxed cruising.

However, there are significant provisos brought on by the Driver Experience Control system.

First, forget about ECO PRO unless you are cruising along a highway or freeway. Otherwise it just dumbs responses down too much. The good news is all the fuel consumption claims are made in default Comfort mode not ECO PRO, so BMW isn’t pulling a swifty there.

The bad news is Comfort softens initial throttle response too much in both petrol engines. The diesel, with more torque and all of it kicking in from 1750rpm doesn’t have the same lethargy. Swap to Sport to give the petrol engine more zing and low road speed transmission responses become too sharp.

So just switch the auto into Sport and leave the DEC system in Comfort. But then you miss out on the heaver steering that feels just the right weight for winding country roads...

Now throw the adaptive suspension into the mix, which was available on some test cars. Oh and the standard 18 and optional 19-inch wheel combinations that also came in a choice of Continental and Pirelli brands. Headache time!

If you didn’t get one from the sheer choice available then it might come from the tyre roar on coarser surfaces -- a common European model trait -- or from the thump and bang as the run flats and suspension failed to cope with some admittedly horrific potholes.

Intriguingly, while motoring.com.au colleague Michael Taylor complained of rear-end ride issues in his European first drive of the 3 GT, our experience was that the front-end tended to loudly sound and forcefully jar like it had run out of travel, compliance and bump stop. It’s not an uncommon experience in a modern day BMW.

Yet on smoother -- if not necessarily smooth -- surfaces, rolling up and over hills and down dale, winding through the beautiful greenery of the northern NSW coastal hinterland, the 3 Series GT proved itself to be a comfortable, quite potent and enjoyable car to drive. All while giving rear seat passengers room to sprawl and offering substantial boot space too.

Consider this another niche filled.

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