Four-play is still enjoyable with the BMW 330i

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

The BMW 330i - the most powerful 3-Series, now the last six-cylinder model has gone.

This isn't the first time BMW has offered a 3-Series sedan badged 330, is it?

No, it isn't. But this time things are different.

The last time a BMW 330 was on the market in New Zealand, it was so badged because it was powered by a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine. We think that 330 badging lasted from about 2001 to 2007 before the engine was replaced by an uprated (but still 3.0-litre) twin-turbocharged six, and as a consequence the badging was changed to 335i. At roughly the same time a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder model was introduced with 328i badging.

Demand for sedans with six cylinder engines has dramatically fallen in recent years, so when the current 3-Seriies was facelifted late last year, BMW New Zealand decided to discontinue a six cylinder model. So the 335i has disappeared and won't be replaced by the 340i which is available in Australia. And as an aside, the 435i Gran Coupe has also disappeared, but it has been replaced by a 440i.

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All this means that the most powerful 3-Series is now the 2.0-litre turbo model which is now badged - you guessed it - 330i. Why that change? The quick answer is that these days BMW badging is more indicative of engine power than displacement, and because the new four under the bonnet of the facelifted 3-Series is more powerful than the one it replaces, then it makes sense that the numbers on the badge should go up a little as well.

So how much more powerful is the 330i compared to the 328i?

On paper, not so much. The 328i offered 180 kilowatts of power and 350 newton metres of torque, and this new fellow produces 185kW and 350Nm. More important though is when this peak torque is available. It comes in from just 1450 rpm and remains available right up to 4800 rpm, and this lovely spread of grunt translates to very easy - and powerful - driving.

It's interesting to note that in 2012 when the current model 3-Series was first introduced, the TwinPower 2.0-litre engine that powered the 328i was not only superior to the engine it replaced from a performance perspective, but it was also 30 per cent more fuel efficient with an average consumption of 6.2 Litres per 100 kilometres. Now this latest engine is more efficient again - not only does it offer more power and more accessible torque, but average consumption has been reduced even further to 5.8 L/100km. The engine's emissions are also EU6 compliant.

It really is an excellent engine that benefits from all sorts of tech trickery including twin-scroll turbocharging, direct injection, and variable valve timing and lift. It's mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission which helps make for a very good drive.

During our week with the 330i we headed off on a lengthy weekend drive which we expected would require refuelling to make it back home again. But no - during the cruise at 100 kmh on flat ground the engine is barely ticking over at around 1400 rpm, and this meant our indicated average fuel consumption kept falling. We almost got below 5.0 L/100km without really trying. And that meant we had almost a quarter of a tank of gas remaining when we got home.

But is the 330i's driving performance a bit economical too?

No. This BMW might not be a six, and it might not offer the lovely exhaust note that traditionally accompanies the six-cylinder models, but it remains a true driver's car. What the BMW engineers have done via the facelift is introduce a series of upgrades from the 4-Series, including changing the suspension damper settings, and installing thicker sway bars. Our test vehicle also had an optional $5000 M Sport package which added a sports suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, sports seating and a thicker-rimmed steering wheel.

All of this combined to help present a great drive. It's always been fun to carve through the corners and bends in a BMW 3-Series, and the ride and handling enhancements that have been made as part of the facelift simply add to that experience. We suppose there will be plenty of people who will bemoan the fact you can't buy a six-cylinder 3-Series anymore, but quite frankly this twin-turbocharged four cylinder model is as good - it just doesn't offer the same aural experience, that's all.

Any other changes as part of the facelift?

Yes. There are reshaped bumpers, different lights which are now all LED, and there are various trim changes. Safety specification has received a major boost via the addition of a Driving Assistant package that adds the likes of a reversing camera, lane-change warning, collision warning, autonomous braking at city speeds, and radar-operated cruise control. It all helps make the 3-Series continue to be competitive against the newer Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Audi A4.

The BMW 330i, which is now the top 3-Series if you leave the storming M3 out of the fray, retails for $88,000. All the options added to our test vehicle took the price to $96,800. In the old days you could have said that this was quite a price to pay for a four cylinder sedan. But these days you can't say that, the result of the big international move to extract maximum power and torque from engines of smaller displacements, all the result of a big effort to meet increasingly stringent exhaust emissions standards.