By Autoreviewman
Now in its seventh generation, the all-new 2 019 BMW 3 Series has long been awaited by performance minded driver worldwide. A much admired compact premium sports sedan (Coupe and cabriolet), the 3 Series has been acknowledged as the gold standard in this sector, delivering the utmost in performance and engineering. The new 3 Series is wider– longer, taller, and has a new enlarged kidney grille, and the sleekly profiled body has a stretched hood and short trunk. For the 2019 version, there is an uprated 2.0-litre twin scroll turbocharged four cylinder engine. Peak output is up by seven hp for a total of 255 horsepower between 5,000 and 6,000 rpm, and torque is up by 37 lbs, with a creditable 295 lb-ft between 1,550 and 4,400rpm. The updated ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic is teamed up with BMW’s Xdrive All-Wheel drive as standard fare for Canada.
Inside, the 2019 330i is instantly recognizable as a BMW interior, with its neat, impeccable controlled design, and excellent ergonomic layout. The seats are comfortable in all quarters. Rear legroom is better than its contemporaries. The front instrument panel now features a fully digital gauge cluster. Technology goodies include the BMW Live cockpit with BMW’s Connected “iDrive” 7.0 interface with a huge crystal clear HD 12.3-inch main screen with a nav map, back-up camera with optional birds eyes 3D view, 10.5-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay. (No Android Auto as yet), meanwhile the voice-activated BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant can operate a number of function via voice command
A slew of driver assists technology is available as standard, including lane-keep, blind-spot, and forward-collision and rear cross-traffic warnings, a convenient new feature is the reversing assistant, which allows the 330i to back out of tight spots without any input from the driver other than operating the brake. With a starting price of $49,000, BMW claims a 0 to 100KM/H sprint in a scant 5.6 seconds. Grip is also phenomenal, with the new xDrive all-wheel drive. The 3 Series is an iconic sports sedan that is even better in the last generation, it still manages to hold off the best from Japan and Korea, yet matches anything from Europe in this arena. The M versions will of course the most desirable, however, the 330i in any guise will offer unbeatable fun to drive dynamics, performance and luxury. Highly recommended.
2019 BMW 330i Xdrive MRSP from $49,000
More info at www.bmw.ca
