[Akshay1234]

Here is my take on it, after buying the E90 just a year ago.

Like Sahil said, I don't understand what BMW is doing omitting the sunroof in all diesels, when here Mercedes is offering Pano roofs on the C and even cars like the Honda city get one. Though not a deal breaker it is one of those feel good items.

In the diesels equipping only the Luxury plus model well is not the best move, since many people buying the top end model drive themselves, and would prefer the sport model. There should also have been a sport plus, with HUD and the full idrive and Hifi system.

Another silly thing is leaving out the front parking sensors on the diesels, something which they did in the E90 too.

Going by this, am I regretting not waiting a year for the new model? Not at all. Though yes I will miss out on things like the 8 speed, and the sports seats.

The 328 is pretty well loaded, but being a petrol it just won't sell that much. Makes me wonder if just going all out and getting the 335i would have been a better idea.

Anyway will be checking the car out tomorrow, will post my thoughts on it as an E90 owner. Not expecting to get a TD tomorrow, though it may happen.

[himavanth_m]

I have got an invite from BMW for the Ultimate 3 unveiling in Hyderabad. I have been drooling over the looks of the new Beemer and I am thrilled to see the machine up close tomorrow. I do not think they will give the vehicle for test drive, but in the near future hoping to get the test drive of the same.

From the brochure, it is surprising to see 14.79 km/l for the 328i. I hope it gives atleast 60% of the mileage in city driving conditions. But I love the package in 328i. I really wished I had enough of the M factor to go and book the car. Finally, I hope they price the 328i aggressively.

[Santoshbhat]

Autocar India's first drive report on the F30
New BMW 3-series India review, test drive | Review | Autocar India

[Hayek]

Does anyone have clarity on likely delivery times post launch? Is it likely to be in weeks or months? Certainly a car everyone has been waiting for, and from the reviews, it seems to be worth the wait.

[manujkansal]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Does anyone have clarity on likely delivery times post launch? Is it likely to be in weeks or months? Certainly a car everyone has been waiting for, and from the reviews, it seems to be worth the wait.

Went to the Closed door launch in delhi today. Must say the car is bloody awesome. It will leave its competition i.e the A4 and the C class way behind. Even the F10 is surely in trouble. According to the dealer the official launch is on the 27th and the deliveries are expected to start from the 15th of August or so. The prices also remain more or less the same.

[AirbusA340]

Preview at Kun Hyderabad last night at 8pm. Around 15 customers or so. Unveiled with the blinkers and DRLs on. The satin was pulled off after a very brief introduction to the '3'. Lots of sound and videos playing in the background too.

Official launch is on the 27th as per the dealership. Bookings have already started as others mentioned here. They gave a thumbs up for test drives from 27th onwards but were not disclosing any pricing and specs. They showed a 320d sport in Alpine White with Dakota Black Leather/exclusive stitching/black gloss trim with red accent.

The car surely seems to raise a few eyebrows of the customers present. I could see that they were clearly bored with the E90 looks and felt it was refreshing....a personal choice I'd say! The alloys were, somehow, very bland on this one and the luxury/luxury plus/328i sport versions come with better looking ones. The dealership guys were struggling for a few seconds when the hood did not open fully. It seems that the opening latch inside is done away with. Its gone and gives a very clean appearance to the underside once open.

It gives an impression of a bigger car, no doubt, but as I mentioned earlier, at the average position of the driver and the pax seats the rear legroom is almost the same. I knew it was not a Long wheelbase version but I still spent time to check it all over again.

Surprisingly, this variant had Navigation installed wherein the spec sheet mentioned otherwise. It could be because it's a CBU and the CKD kits during deliveries may match the spec sheet that eclipse posted. The sunroof was missing and though not a majorrrrr issue, was visibly NOT THERE

The ambient lighting in this cabin was a very good addition. The F30 Center pedestal isn't different from what I saw abroad and it has a different feel to the E90's sloping view. In one way, it feels bigger and nicer than the E90's and in one way it lacks attractiveness and feels bluntly straight and eating up room between you and the fellow occupant. Again, just impressions and my 2 cents!

We'll have to wait and see how much the headlights/DRLs impress on a day to day basis and from a distance approaching. Again a personal choice, I feel!

As we left the 1st floor, I kept staring from near the stairs at a different height and my old impressions would return. The shape almost convinces you that they've managed a very decent upgrade. In some angles though, it can never beat the older design lines and the blandness is obviously there. Again, a personal choice for design lines and many prospective buyers (not all) don't care since they are getting a newer model and a balance between efficiency and performance.

As we left the showroom, one of the E90's parked caught my eye. Somewhere and somehow it's got something under it's skin and lines in a strangest way that never fails to put a smile on my face. Again, it's just me!

But for guys who like the new model and booking one, it's a sweet tempting wait as usual. Enjoyyy!

pEaCe

[himavanth_m]

Originally Posted by AirbusA340

Official launch is on the 27th as per the dealership. Bookings have already started as others mentioned here. They gave a thumbs up for test drives from 27th onwards but were not disclosing any pricing and specs. They showed a 320d sport in Alpine White with Dakota Black Leather/exclusive stitching/black gloss trim with red accent.

It gives an impression of a bigger car, no doubt, but as I mentioned earlier, at the average position of the driver and the pax seats the rear legroom is almost the same. I knew it was not a Long wheelbase version but I still spent time to check it all over again.

But for guys who like the new model and booking one, it's a sweet tempting wait as usual. Enjoyyy!

Even I was present at the showroom. A couple of points from my side.

1. The BMW executives mentioned it was 7 PM. They delayed it by 1 hour. It was very bad on their part.

2. The bonnet opening part was hilarious. They struggled and suddenly everyone from the staff were in front of the bonnet trying to understand why it did not open.

3. The spec sheet mentions that there is no sunroof on any 320d. However the staff mentioned that it would be available on the Luxury line. But I do not believe them as one of the staff mentioned that the 328i is a 3 litre 258bhp engine. I smiled and left. Did not bother to correct them.

4. The BMW staff mentioned to me that the launch is on 27th July. But the test drives would start on the 3rd of August.

5. To your point on the drivers position, I found it very very similar to the previous 3. I really did not bother about the leg room in the back seat. The staff were trying to make it a point to mention that the rear leg room increased, but I hardly noticed any. But it surely looked bigger than the earlier 3 from the outside.

[AirbusA340]

Originally Posted by himavanth_m

Even I was present at the showroom. A couple of points from my side.

1. The BMW executives mentioned it was 7 PM. They delayed it by 1 hour. It was very bad on their part.

2. The bonnet opening part was hilarious. They struggled and suddenly everyone from the staff were in front of the bonnet trying to understand why it did not open.

3. The spec sheet mentions that there is no sunroof on any 320d. However the staff mentioned that it would be available on the Luxury line. But I do not believe them as one of the staff mentioned that the 328i is a 3 litre 258bhp engine. I smiled and left. Did not bother to correct them.

4. The BMW staff mentioned to me that the launch is on 27th July. But the test drives would start on the 3rd of August.

5. To your point on the drivers position, I found it very very similar to the previous 3. I really did not bother about the leg room in the back seat. The staff were trying to make it a point to mention that the rear leg room increased, but I hardly noticed any. But it surely looked bigger than the earlier 3 from the outside.

Hi there..

1. True. But I was late

2. LoL

3. True. I have interacted with these guys for a couple of years at Kun now. They seem to maintain good PR and warm to interact with but they lack a lot of information more than a few customers. They'd rather be away from enthusiasts lol

4. Oh. Then we should push Rashmi, as promised, for a test drive on the 27th. Who knows?! I want to see how it fares against our roads and how the dash and other parts live up against any rattles and vibrations even though they may not surface immediately. My friend's F30 in London already had a dash rattle from near the AC controls for a month or so. I'm very particular of such things. Let's see.

5. Absolutely! One of the reasons I bought the E90 in March, 2012 after I drove it abroad. Bangle fans like myself are not very pleased with the lines to live with on a day to day basis. But yeah. Surely looks bigger from outside. Even the interior is fresh in one view but believe me, the center console with entertainment & AC controls has become very big and kind of zooming in onto your face. Why does it have to be so big to overtake the dashboard appeal as a whole? Maybe the earlier consoles and the buttons felt a little small for some users but even the glovebox feels exactly the same with a out-onto-your-face feel. Just my impression.

pEaCe

[nirav]

Went for the sneak preview in BLR on Friday. Navnit were displaying the 328i Sport Line, fully loaded. Have to start by saying the event was well organized, the showroom looked great, and service + drinks were superb.

Now, the car. Awesome. The interiors are very similar to the F10 5-series, and this spec had the larger 8" screen with navigation, as well as the heads-up display in the windscreen. Loved the chunky steering too. Rear seat space has definitely improved over the previous iteration, however its still nothing to write home about. Luckily, neither is the space in the A4 or C class! The showroom rep mentioned that official launch is on the 27th, and deliveries should begin Aug first week itself. I was a little surprised that there were no cheaper options on the petrol side, just the fully loaded 328i. Im a total petrol fanatic, but im finding it a little hard to justify paying 3-4L MORE for a petrol over a diesel (even though it is a turbo'd 245bhp gem)!

Indicative pricing on the road in BLR is expected to be around 39-40L for the 320d fully loaded, and 44-45L for the 328i. Thats 520d territory. Not quite sure what the strategy is with that!

Overall, a very very desirable car, and one i would definitely buy over the A4 and C class- great interiors, superb exteriors, and the drive will no doubt be phenomenal.

[quattroa4]

Originally Posted by AirbusA340

Preview at Kun Hyderabad last night at 8pm. Around 15 customers or so. Unveiled with the blinkers and DRLs on. The satin was pulled off after a very brief introduction to the '3'. Lots of sound and videos playing in the background too.

Official launch is on the 27th as per the dealership. Bookings have already started as others mentioned here. They gave a thumbs up for test drives from 27th onwards but were not disclosing any pricing and specs. They showed a 320d sport in Alpine White with Dakota Black Leather/exclusive stitching/black gloss trim with red accent.

The car surely seems to raise a few eyebrows of the customers present. I could see that they were clearly bored with the E90 looks and felt it was refreshing....a personal choice I'd say! The alloys were, somehow, very bland on this one and the luxury/luxury plus/328i sport versions come with better looking ones. The dealership guys were struggling for a few seconds when the hood did not open fully. It seems that the opening latch inside is done away with. Its gone and gives a very clean appearance to the underside once open.

It gives an impression of a bigger car, no doubt, but as I mentioned earlier, at the average position of the driver and the pax seats the rear legroom is almost the same. I knew it was not a Long wheelbase version but I still spent time to check it all over again.

Surprisingly, this variant had Navigation installed wherein the spec sheet mentioned otherwise. It could be because it's a CBU and the CKD kits during deliveries may match the spec sheet that eclipse posted. The sunroof was missing and though not a majorrrrr issue, was visibly NOT THERE

The ambient lighting in this cabin was a very good addition. The F30 Center pedestal isn't different from what I saw abroad and it has a different feel to the E90's sloping view. In one way, it feels bigger and nicer than the E90's and in one way it lacks attractiveness and feels bluntly straight and eating up room between you and the fellow occupant. Again, just impressions and my 2 cents!

We'll have to wait and see how much the headlights/DRLs impress on a day to day basis and from a distance approaching. Again a personal choice, I feel!

As we left the 1st floor, I kept staring from near the stairs at a different height and my old impressions would return. The shape almost convinces you that they've managed a very decent upgrade. In some angles though, it can never beat the older design lines and the blandness is obviously there. Again, a personal choice for design lines and many prospective buyers (not all) don't care since they are getting a newer model and a balance between efficiency and performance.

As we left the showroom, one of the E90's parked caught my eye. Somewhere and somehow it's got something under it's skin and lines in a strangest way that never fails to put a smile on my face. Again, it's just me!

But for guys who like the new model and booking one, it's a sweet tempting wait as usual. Enjoyyy!

pEaCe

absolutly yes ! E 90 still holds it's line in a way the new F30 just can not match it . though the design of front headlights feels like touch of 6 series to it , merging of headlamps and the grill spoils the show .

[Abhinav667]

Originally Posted by ghostrider

For what it's worth, here's the unofficial unconfirmed specs for the model they'll sell the most of here.... the 320d.

Technical Specifications

BMW 3 Series (F30) 320d (2012 - Present)

Engine: Inline 4
Displacement: 1995 cm3
Power: 135(184)/4000 KW(hp)/RPM
Torque: 380/1750-2750 Nm/RPM
Fuel System: Common rail direct injection, turbocharger with VG
Fuel: Diesel
CO2 Emissions: 117 g/km

Performance
Top Speed: 235 km/h
0-62 Mph (0-100kph): 7.5 s

Fuel Consumption
City: 15-16kpl
Highway: 23-25kpl
Combined: 19-21 kpl

Transmission
Drive Type: Rear Wheel Drive
Gearbox: Six-speed manual (optional: eight-speed automatic)

Brakes
Front: Single-piston swing-calliper disc brakes / vented
Rear: Single-piston swing-calliper disc brakes / vented

Tires
Size: 205/60 R16 92W (unconfirmed what size we’ll get).

Dimensions
Length: 4624 mm
Width: 1811 mm
Height: 1413 mm
Front/rear Track: 1,543/1,583 mm
Wheelbase: 2810 mm
Ground Clearance: 140 mm
Cargo Volume: 480 L
Cd: 0.27

Weight
Unladen Weight: 1415 kg
Gross Weight Limit: 1965 kg

Just came across the brochure scans of the upcoming 3-series. Technical specifications are missing though.

SOURCE: Exclusive: BMW 3 Series brochure & details |Goa On Wheels

[andyb]

I was at BMW earlier, and was told quite clearly that the 320d "luxury plus" would have the sun roof. The 320d luxury and sport would be priced at par, while the luxury plus would be almost 5 lacs more. The Fully loaded 328i a little more than the Luxury Plus.

While the difference in price between the 320d sport/luxury and the 520d is substantial, the 320d luxury plus, runs pretty close to the 520d prices.

[ARSC]

HI!!

Bird Auto New Delhi, New bmw 3 Preview launch Party.
On Display there was 328i and 320d (luxury and sports line).

These guys have a runner in hand. The car is superb.

[AirbusA340]

I reckon, considering the post budget prices & a higher premium for the 28i and luxury plus to get those little extras, waiting for the 520d facelift makes more sense. They're all EPS these days anyways.

At least, it would ship with the new age digital LCD instrument cluster, like in the 7 LCI, which is totally wicked! Those animations are a true step forward and complement the black panel display very well.

Additionally, you can get a bigger car for the same buck too.

pEaCe

[manujkansal]

Originally Posted by AirbusA340

I reckon, considering the post budget prices & a higher premium for the 28i and luxury plus to get those little extras, waiting for the 520d facelift makes more sense.

where did you hear about the 520d facelift ? When is it expected & with what changes ?