The Car arrives.
Again we set off after the quick photoshoot for registration there we got a bad patch of road ( aprox 3-4 kms )
The car performed badly here, even after dropping to < 5 km/h i could feel every peddle ( May be the tyre pressure was too high )
I Got the car registered and the number i got alotted was
" 747 " , more than happy with that.
We set of after the registration getting done to Mumbai at about 3 pm.
So before wasting any more time here is my take on the 328i
Performance;
The 328i has the new N20 Engine. Many people (including BMW Sales staff) are misinterpreting the “Twin Power turbo“ as “Twin Turbo“. The fact is that the N20 is having a Single “Twin Scroll “Turbo.
This engine is generating 245 hp & 350 NM of Torque @ 1250 rpm.
What BMW has tried to achieve here with this 4 cylinder turbocharged motor is to deliver the performance & smoothness of 6 pot with FE of 4 cylinders, which on paper is tough to argue.
You really have to drive it to believe it & im not too sure of the FE & i think it is too early to measure FE but the performance Oh Boy , Oh Boy this more than puts a smile on your face.
I had driven the 530i no doubt it was impressive , also the sound / engine note was very sporty but had a very weak low to mid range. But with this the 328 the low end starts strongly & just gets stronger all the way to the redline.
The Engine note is silent most of the times but gets throaty (in a good way ) past 3000 rpm & past 4500 rpm gets angrier.
In most instances you don’t even come to know the way the speeds climb up in fact i was @ 185 km/h in Sport mode where in i never gave more than 50% throttle.
Acceleration;
Absolutely Savage Throttle Response. As the Peak Torque is so low down the rev range the performance is very linear for a Turbo Engine.
As the company claimed 0-100 km/h of 6.1 secs (which i haven’t tried yet) but i am sure it will feel faster than the numbers suggest.
Did not do much of spirited driving but did have a few short bursts and was truly blown away.
Note : Though being a Turbo Very Linear., almost no lag.
Overall i feel this 4 banger is mammoth fun.
In fact after returning back to Mumbai i took her for a late night spin to BW Sea Link.
Love On the NH8 ;
Rear proportions like the 5 Series
Note : The wipers were confusing to operate.
Very Muscular Stance , Love this one
Gearbox / Transmission;
The Indian Spec 328i comes standard with the “ Sport Automatic Gearbox “
To be very frank i have never owned a Automatic Transmission Car (But have driven few of my friends) & have always been disappointed by most of them to be honest, but this one shifts & how.
The gear changes are lightning quick, so quick that in the first 3 gearshifts it is very difficult to say when it changes the gear especially if you don’t look at the tacho.
In Comfort mode it is always perfect, no uneven downshifts, always in the right gear.
In Eco Pro it up shifts quite up which may not be useful on hilly areas (ghats)
Also In Eco Pro there is a indicator (in Blue) which shows you how much kms you have gained by driving in ECO PRO mode , which i my case i drove aproxx 30 odd kms in ECO Pro mode and gained 5.9 kms on range, so thats a good feeling & will make you drive in ECO PRO for longer.
Driving Experience Control (Modes);
ECO PRO – As i explained earlier, does come in handy & more importantly it works
Negatives - Eco Pro mode up shifts quite early (low rpm) which may not be useful on hilly areas (ghats)
COMFORT – Was driving in this mode almost 50 % of the time, & i believe that this very well does justice to the “COMFORT mode“ , the power delivery was very sublime, thanks to the sorted mapping. The other good thing was that i never felt the lack of power / grunt & the need to switch to the SPORT mode, so this is the ideal mode for city & internal highways.
SPORT – This did sharpen the throttle response & quicker gear changes, also weighed up the steering nicely for more precise handling , really loved this setting on the run.
Also as soon as you shift from Comfort to Sport There is a downshift and the car selects the gear for the best acceleration from that speed, Killer tech !
^ Sport Display : When you are driving hard your eyes should be on the road & not on how much Torque Or Power your making so this TOY is good to show off & nothing more
Also would have loved if we could have changed the Units to Bhp
SPORT + :
The only noticeable difference was that this switched off the DTC. Did not feel any more difference that the SPORT mode otherwise. I think it needed more pushing harder (which i didn’t).
RIDE & HANDLING;
Ride Quality;
I have not spent much time in the E90’s but once i was being driven around Surat in my Uncles car & other time i was test driving a test drive vehicle (M kitted with mixed tyres) overall it was not an uncomfortable ride but yes Harsh.
In the F30 its better but not the most comfortable ride ( Thanks to the 18”ers) But my opinion changed as the speed/s climbed into 1xx territory. It feels very comfortable as well as planted.
I am sure in the 16,17" setups for the diesel the ride quality will be more comfortable for sure.
Checked the Tyre Pressure today ( after returning to Mumbai ) it was @ 23 psi , so i think the rims were taking all the pain , now @ 30 psi it feels lot better and the suspension is now getting to absorb the bumps better.
Run Flats;
Globally this car in 18” setup is offered in the following tyre brands;
Pirelli CintuRatu P7 RSC
Bridgestone Potenza s001 RFT
GoodYear Efficient Grip ROF
Continental Sport Contact 5 ssr
The above is depending on what tyre brand was delivered to the factory when the F30 was being made.
My car is fitted with GoodYear Efficient Grip ROF , 225/45 R18
Grip Levels :As these Good Years are “touring” spec (surprised) but were pretty grippy acceptable but i would have loved having the Continentals.
Note : Again i hadn’t got the opportunity to check the Tyre pressure as the pumps around were “ Out of Order”
Tyre Noise : Very Silent
Handling;
The 3 series already has been legendary when it comes to handling so the F30 had a big task to better it & how , absoloute stellar handling thanks again to the Steering which acts sharp in the Sport & the Sport+ Modes , Very Precise.
You wont believe the amount of speed i was carrying into the corners on the NH8 and this was my first drive , really gives you the confidence to push hard and when you have you push “ Harder “
Though the Indian spec version does not get sport suspension (which lowers the car by 10 mm) the handling is unbelievable.
RWD & 50:50 Weight Distribution : These Attributes have always defined the BMW brand, but in my 1st sprint i could very well feel the difference of why these cars are so special. No tail out fun yet (except while taking a U-Turn i experienced it on full throttle & was in Comfort mode then too) , was taking it easy & not much of Sport+ usage till now which de-activates the traction & skid controls)
Steering ;
EPS, Variable Sport Steering (Exclusive to 328i)
The steering precision is magical with the way it weighs up when you change from say Comfort to Sport.
Also as i mentioned in traffic and parking the variable sport steering is very handy as the difference is that the no. Of turns required to reach lock & lock position (just about 2) is less that on a normal one ( just under 3) , this really aids maneuverability.
Steering Feel & Haptics - Perfect size & thickness , Very Meaty ,& perfect button layout.
Interiors;
Coral Red Interiors have got a mixed review, to be honest as i had mentioned i wanted the White with black combo but due to non availability of the same had to settle for the Coral Red option.
But i was wrong these interiors are a blessing in disguise, in fact one of the best highlights of the car.
They truly grow on you and match the character of the car.
Also thanks to BMW to give a "proper" handbrake & not a button or a foot lever like they did in the 5 & 7
Front Sport Seats: These are bloody excellent. These do give the feeling you enveloped in proper bucket seats + being comfortable at the same time.
Very supportive & kept me in proper place especially when the side bolstering is tightened.
Rear Seats - The Rear Seats are comfortable , especially good on thigh support.
4 people can seat comfortably , for 5 not recommended for long journeys (as middle passenger will always be complaining thanks to also the rear A/C vents)
Legroom - Yes, there is an improvement , & now the rear feels a lot more spacious.
^ My brother almost 6 foot tall
Note – If you observe closely the coral red seats & the red streak in the dashboard is not a perfect match may be because that is more satin finish red.
Heads Up Display (HUD) ;
Another feature exclusive to the 328
This feature takes the driving involvement to the next level. A big thank you to BMW guys for in-corporating this feature in the Indian – spec version.
^ Notice Dual Colors Observed.
Note : The HUD Displays information such as ;
- Speed
- GPS Directions
- Speed Warning Signal (As seen)
- Radi / Audio selection details
- Phone calls ( To Receive / Ignore )
- Door Open
- Mostly all Notifications are shown
HUD Color – The speed in Daytime it is in White & Night its amber (orange/red)
Lights;
Adaptive Bi-Xenons are really impressive. Brilliantly bright & look amazing. They never have that aftermarket “purple/blue” tinge.
Day Time Running Lights – Again Brilliant & Very Bright
Also tried taking the picture of the DRLs running at night after my drive on the Bandra Worli Sea Link
I was just not able to capture the angel eyes with my eye phone camera.
^ Note these are not my Xenons , just the DRLs on , in real you can see well defined rings but not able to capture on camera
Ambient Lighting ;
Interior - 2 setting one is " Classic" & 2nd is " Sport "
Classic Setting is having fantastic RED LED lit door panels, floor & Gear console area.
Sport light setting switches off the other ambient lights and only has the dashboard lit up.
Exterior - Puddle LED Lamps
Music System;
The 328 is equipped with the HiFi Loudspeaker system. It has a total of 9 speakers.
One Speaker in the dashboard centre, 2 mids 2 tweeters on front doors, 2 subs under front seats & 2 mids on the rear doors.
I haven’t heard the music system in the Diesel variants (which apparently is a different one i.e non HiFi) But Trust me this one’s real loud & classy, the clarity is impeccable and the bass is just apt, though i am not much into ICE but this system strikes all the right chords.
Also i was able to pair my i-phone with the car very quickly & play music from my phone via bluetooth.
I am sure the clarity will get better in CD's & once the songs are on the Hard Disk
Other features;
- 12 GB Hard Drive for maps & music
- DVD Drive
- USB & Aux In Support
- Bluetooth ( Can play music from my i-phone via Bluetooth)
I-Drive & Tech ;
The Big Screen (22.3 cm) is nice & clear & the whole i-drive system is really easy to use.
Park Assist ;
The Park Assist is having a reverse camera and the usual audio function.
Note : the Green lines ( which is the projected trajectory ) Move when you turn the steering , AWESOME !!
Navigation: Maps look great & the resolution is good on the screen so its a joy to get directions,I am still getting used to it.
BMW Apps : Will need a Snap in Adapter for that , will get it next month & report on it.
Conclusion;
So the new 3 with the sharp & fresh new look is faster, lighter, more economical, with better ride quality / comfort keeping the handling dynamics which truly defined the car alive.
ULTIMAT3 is the best way you sum it up as.
A special thanks to;
The support car for the pictures & more;
^ Notice the Punto was grinning & happy to see the 328i
& thanks to my brother for the pictures & spotting the availability of the model in Kochi, without which this buy would not have been possible.
Thanks for Reading Guys.