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Old 29th July 2012, 21:00   #46
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

I think you summed it up impressively! In all honesty, I think BMW could have benefited a bit better with ever so slightly better price tags on the new 3 considering the new A4 is a much improved car that it will directly take on.

In any case, now that both the challengers have entered the ring, all that's left is to see who comes out ahead. And this battle between the A4 and the new 3 is going to be one heck of a fight that will most definitely determine who takes the lead in the luxury market .. either Audi will be cemented as the new Kings, or BMW fends off Audi to retain their throne.
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Old 29th July 2012, 22:09   #47
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

Superb writeup

The 3 Series now does offer good competition to the A4 with this edition.

I guess it will be only the 320d in sport line and Luxury line that will sell. The Luxury plus and petrol option will not move in significant numbers due to price proximity to A4 3.0 and Merc image in that segment.

But yep this time both the sport and luxury interiors are tempting. It looks sufficently new on the front and rear as well. Those who waited should be happy.
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Old 29th July 2012, 22:20   #48
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

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Originally Posted by karan561 View Post
1) The 320d sportline has 17" rims (style 392) , where as the 328i sportline has 18'ers (style 397)
2) & also the 328i has a 8 speed "sport" automatic transmission unlike the 8 speed A/T in the 320d
Oh yeah. Left that out as he had asked w.r.t interiors. This should be included as well anyways.

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Old 29th July 2012, 22:26   #49
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

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Originally Posted by kaush666 View Post
Oh yeah. Left that out as he had asked w.r.t interiors. This should be included as well anyways.

Cheers,
K
Yes, no problem.

I also think but not sure that the " Sport + " mode in Driving Experience Control is only available in the petrol 328i & not in the Diesel models ( neither luxury or sport )

Correct me if i am wrong, not sure.
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Old 30th July 2012, 00:01   #50
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

Can any one tell me why dint they launch the 6 cylinder 335i model of the 2012 BMW 3 series??
They shud have launched that too considering they launched a 6 cylinder version in 2011. Isnt that car suppose to be like for the enthusiasts??
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Old 30th July 2012, 12:06   #51
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

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Originally Posted by mod_to_odd View Post
Can any one tell me why dint they launch the 6 cylinder 335i model of the 2012 BMW 3 series??
They shud have launched that too considering they launched a 6 cylinder version in 2011. Isnt that car suppose to be like for the enthusiasts??
Mod, The sales figures for BMW for the 3 series since its launch in India has clearly show the high costumer preference for the diesel version than the petrol one. More than that, now they have launched the petrol sport version ( which has lot more bells and whistles than its corresponding diesel sibling like bigger alloys, paddle shift etc ), there wont be any real demand for 335i.

They even did not launch the "modern" version that was launched in Europe as they felt that there wont be any real takers for the said model.

Don't forget that 3 is the entry level car in the BMW stable and hence the consumer's in the entry level in this segment has a clear perception of the product's Value for money deliverance, and hence their automatic choice goes for diesel version over the petrol one.

May be, within a couple of years, there is a good chance of a CE edition that will make the 3 more affordable to entry level consumers.
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Old 30th July 2012, 14:57   #52
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

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Originally Posted by mod_to_odd View Post
Can any one tell me why dint they launch the 6 cylinder 335i model of the 2012 BMW 3 series??
They shud have launched that too considering they launched a 6 cylinder version in 2011. Isnt that car suppose to be like for the enthusiasts??
They will launch the 335i model but not this year & will pitch it against the Audi S4 should be around 45 lakhs ex-showroom.

Last edited by karan561 : 30th July 2012 at 15:00.
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Old 30th July 2012, 15:25   #53
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

I dont think there is a comparison between the A4 and the new 3. As someone correctly mentioned earlier, why would anyone go for an underpowered 2L engine with an outdated gearbox when for similar money he is getting something far more powerful and up to date? The A4, whilst being a good car, might match in comfort, space, looks even, but it doesnt seem to bring out the emotion that this BMW does- and thats the deciding factor.
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Old 30th July 2012, 15:31   #54
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

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I dont think there is a comparison between the A4 and the new 3. As someone correctly mentioned earlier, why would anyone go for an underpowered 2L engine with an outdated gearbox when for similar money he is getting something far more powerful and up to date? The A4, whilst being a good car, might match in comfort, space, looks even, but it doesnt seem to bring out the emotion that this BMW does- and thats the deciding factor.
Yet they serve the same target group of "entry" level model seekers, by virtue of that, they are comparable for the same select target customers.

The BMW3 was always for a "drivers" machine. The Audi makes up for it by offering arguably better opulence than in raw driving features. In that sense there is no comparison but in overall product positioning and pricing, they're basically fighting for the same pound of flesh in the customer base.
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Old 30th July 2012, 15:35   #55
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

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Originally Posted by Vandit View Post
Yet they serve the same target group of "entry" level model seekers, by virtue of that, they are comparable for the same select target customers.

The BMW3 was always for a "drivers" machine. The Audi makes up for it by offering arguably better opulence than in raw driving features. In that sense there is no comparison but in overall product positioning and pricing, they're basically fighting for the same pound of flesh in the customer base.
Good point. I suppose for a driver-driven car, the A4 would possibly be better as it is arguably more luxurious and definitely more spacious. Where does all this leave the C-class though? More badge than bite i say!
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Old 30th July 2012, 16:05   #56
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

I used to own the 1998 one in the U.S. Of late the 3's nose has become a little droopy and drops down like in a 5.
Also, I wonder why the panel gaps are not tighter in these Germans except the Audi.
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Old 31st July 2012, 11:40   #57
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Here is the direct link for the downloading of the Catalogue of the new BMW 3 series as available in India with the features list of all the versions of the new 3.

http://www.bmw.in/in/en/newvehicles/...yer_120710.pdf

You may also down load the specifications sheet too at http://www.bmw.in/in/en/newvehicles/...Series_F30.pdf

Last edited by Rehaan : 31st July 2012 at 14:56. Reason: Merging posts. Thanks.
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Old 31st July 2012, 16:41   #58
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

Went and checked out the F30 over the weekend. I saw the 328i, and test drove one too. The TD car was a CBU so it was a 328i in Luxury Line, different from the India spec.

Let me start off with the India spec 328i sportsline. The car looks good in red, and with those 18" rims. There was a 320d Lux+ too in black, and personally I didn't like the look of it too much. Back to the 328, the car feels a bit roomier inside than the current 3. Rear leg room is better, though don't go expecting Superb levels of legroom or anything. If the E90 was cramped, this is acceptable. The quality of the plastics, buttons is very similar to the E90. The sports seats are fabulous, and with the bolster adjustment they are extremely comfortable. I would recommend getting a sportsline if you are driving yourself just for these seats.

The black leather interior with red accents looked good too. The HUD is an awesome addition. I noticed things like the horn, and indicators required less effort to operate than the E90.

Now to the drive on the 328, start the engine up and you will know its not an inline 6. That doesn't mean its unrefined. The car is pretty responsive, and it pushes you back into your seat when given the beans. At lower RPMs it didn't feel as responsive as my 320d, but at higher rpms this engine is a gem. It sounds good too, pretty similar to other BMW petrols.

The ride is certainly better than the E90, especially on smaller bumps. On larger bumps you still get a thud. The handling seems to be similar, I didn't really get to push the car. The steering, though well weighted and direct, seems to have less feel than the E90 steering.

As for outright speed, the 328i is fast. It would do 0-100 almost as quick as the claimed time.

Anyway just a quick few observations. At present do I want to upgrade from an E90 320D to the F30? NO, because there is no fully loaded diesel Sports variant. Also I didn't drive the 320d F30 but my gut feel going by the 328i drive is that it will not be superior enough to warranty an upgrade.

I hope BMW brings a 335i, I for one will be a ready customer when I have to change the Accord.

Last edited by Akshay1234 : 31st July 2012 at 16:52.
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Old 31st July 2012, 17:18   #59
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Re: 2012 BMW 3-Series : Official Launch Report!

Is there an official Team BHP review expected anytime soon? Any indication of timeline if that is the case?
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Old 31st July 2012, 21:27   #60
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Tested the 320D luxury line rather extensively today. Unfortunately, most of it was in heavy traffic except for a sea link sprint. The car was responsive, but did not push me back into the seat like the 328i did. However, the engine was quite noisy, especially in Sport mode. While it has been a long time since I drove the Mercedes 250D, I think the 320 D was not as fast - I peaked at about 130 kph before hitting traffic. In fact I did not find the 320D materially better than the 520D as a driver's car (though I didn't really test the cornering capabilities of either one)

The interiors were fabulous and the iDrive display did not seem materially smaller than the Luxury Plus demo car I had seen earlier. Honestly, I feel this is much better value for money than the Luxury Plus - don't think a sun roof, a marginally larger iDrive screen, a reversing camera and navigation are worth Rs. 5.5 lakhs more (ex showroom).

But for the insane diesel - petrol price differential, I actually think the 328i would be a much better buy, especially if they launched it in a plain old luxury or sport trim (which would be sub Rs. 34 lakh ex show room based on the relatively small price difference between the 328i and the 320d Luxury Plus). Very oddly, I received a call from one of the BMW dealers saying I need to decide quickly if I want a 328i as production of the current Sport variant is likely to be stopped - seemed rather odd just one week after launch. But would be glad if this presages a switch to the plain old Luxury.

Last edited by Hayek : 31st July 2012 at 21:28.
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