The BMW 3 Series GT

BMW 3 Series GT
WHAT direction make sure of you head as you dearth don't dearth a coupe, SUV or wagon…but something in involving.

BMW believes it has the answer. A spin-off from the BMW 3 Series range has a moment ago landed in showrooms which evokes huge tourer themes.


The BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo is part of a growing premium promote creating niches surrounded by niches.

Essentially an elongated produce, the GT styling comes by a premium. The 320i GT expenditure $6900 more than the wagon and an very $10,900 larger than the sedan in related engine configurations.

It is unfilled with three engine variants and three thumbs down cost trims: Modern, Luxury or Sport.

Comfort

There's a feeling of hole time was you square your rear edge inside.

The GT has 200mm of bonus overall strip, with a 110mm longer wheelbase and an 81mm taller roof line versus the 3 Series Touring.

Also hovering elevated, the driver and front passenger give birth to an improved look over of the planet. Frameless doors assist in delivering an vivacious ambience with outstanding head, piling and knee opportunity front and back.

Rear hole is surprising and you may possibly by a long shot cater intended for three adults across the back seat as long as they aren't too tall - although the centre passenger draws the suddenly straw with the transmission tunnel.

That narrowed roofline as well restricts to the rear hallucination but parking sensors front and rear keep the bumpers from harm's way.

Inside the GT lives up to the modern-day BMW drawing, and we are a fan of the simplicity and legibility of operations. The instrument cluster is a fine model of usefulness urbanity.

The central iDrive procedure can take more training, as you scroll your way through various menus intended for things like the sat nav, expedition mainframe and stereo controls via a central dial.

On the road

Meaty and strong, the 2.0-litre turbo diesel is a robust little artist.

There is more or less minor turbo lag if you catch it napping low in the rev range, although time was spiraling you can punch the accelerator and the 320d will successfully engulf on the highway or dart into a traffic opening.

Its 0-100kmh period of 7.9 seconds is not supercar territory but it's thumbs down droop either, and persons sans very straight line prowess can fork dated an bonus $4700 to follow the 328i which is roughly 1.5 seconds nearer larger than the race.

Dynamic is the catchcry of BMW, and this GT lives up to its heritage with balance, aplomb and steering feel.

There are various drive modes, as well as two sport varieties (one is more relaxed with the eagerness of traction and stability control), comfort and Eco Pro which dulls hurrying response intended for improved efficiency.

Sport was our favourite and inspired us to stretch the GT's legs on more or less taxing bends everywhere the uninterrupted steering made tranquil drive of challenging bends.

GTs as well give birth to an operational rear spoiler which rises by 110kmh, and lowers as the velocity drops less than 70. It helps low-price brighten and delivers a let fall co-efficient of drag, which is rated by 0.29Cd - which makes it lone slippery customer.

What make sure of you follow?

Individualisation is all the rage in the premium segment, and BMW has an array of options and three "lines" (at thumbs down very cost) to float whatever cruiser takes your consider.

The basic GT has a leather sports steering veer and lop off, various drive modes such as budget and sport, front and rear parking sensors, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, 16.5cm colour screen, thrilling seat adjustment, alloys and dual zone air con.

Our test car was in Sport lop off, which added powerful bits like magnify spoke alloys, annotation black trims inside and dated with red accent shape inside and various other edging details.

Once again you can bewilder in even more extras, and we had hard paint ($1840), brushed aluminium lop off ($400), Adaptive M suspension ($2200), sunroof ($3000) and Bi-Xenon headlights ($2050).
Running expenditure

We achieved fuel consumption of a moment ago higher than five litres intended for each 100km. That's frugal stuff.

Ongoing expenditure would need to be factored into budgets, with servicing and insurance by the elevated edge of the climb up.

Practicality

This is everywhere the GT shines larger than a sedan or coupe. There is tremendous wader hole, aided by 40:20:40 split fold seats and a two-part rear shelf (which can be hidden in the load floor).

That takes faculty from 520 litres to 1600 litres as the rear seats are folded.

Funky thing

Like the X6 SUV as it essential indoors, we're taking more or less convincing in the styling division.

All the rage profile it can look light brown, and it doesn't give birth to the coupe sexual category appeal or the regality of a sedan.

The lowdown

Given the size and skill of the 3 Series GT, we'd give birth to sweat ruling the very coin to step up into a 5 Series which expenditure just about $20,000 more.

While the styling won't appeal to all, it's harsh to argue with the sensibleness. This has the dynamics of a coupe but the flexibility of a wagon.

Can it lure buyers away from an already attractive-looking wagon? We'll allow Australia's well-heeled decide.

What matters generally

The lovely stuff: Still dynamic to drive, frameless doors and vivacious hut feel, produce flexibility.

What we'd like to set eyes on: Better hallucination dated rear window, more prominent styling.

Warranty and servicing: Three year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Roadside assist runs intended for three years. All BMWs give birth to "Condition Based Service", but ordinarily it's each 25,000km or annually.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model: BMW 320d Gran Turismo.

Details: Five-door rear-wheel drive luxury compact huge tourer.

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder generating greatest power of 135kW @ 5000rpm and highest torque of 380Nm @ 1750-2750rpm.

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic.

Consumption: 4.9 litres/100km (combined average).

CO2: 129g/km.

Performance: 0-100kmh in 7.9 seconds; top velocity 226kmh.

Bottom line: $71,800 plus on-roads.