It turned out that the check engine light was due to a faulty oxygen sensor.

BHPian iliketurtles recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Back when I was in school in the 1960’s, capital punishment was still a thing. It’s why we were made to write feature length essays when we did something wrong, diving into excruciating detail about what we did wrong, how it was a crime against all humankind, and in the end begging for forgiveness.

As you might know by now, I was always quite the expert in waffling on a lot about nothing. Which is about all the update I have you, with not much happening on the car front.

Sure, I’ve been tootling all around town in it at every given opportunity, and it’s been getting its fair share of TLC and fixing-upping. But does that really matter when the world is going into meltdown?

Some days, I just think the world would be a better place if we settled all disputes via a one-on-one match in FIFA. Could you imagine a Russian despot rage-quitting after being bested in a game he thought he was going to win in a landslide, while his opponent does a victory jig all around the room?

Never mind. Cutting social commentary is not what brings you here, dear reader. Let’s move on to the good stuff.

Sense and sensor-bilities

Oxygen sensors, because cars need to breathe too

I have a new appreciation for the swiftness of snail mail after the longgggg wait for the O2 sensor for the car. But, all’s well that ends well, as they say. The Check Engine Light I was getting was entirely due to the old sensor committing seppuku and giving up on life, love, and everything in between.

What I didn’t know was that the car shaved off a bit of performance in an effort to protect itself (I love painting it as a living, breathing being), and the car felt instantly peppier with the new sensor thrown into the mix. Who knew it would be like this; not me, that’s for sure.

Bits and bobs

Boredom is a terrible thing that afflicts all of us, for which there is no known cure other than to spruce up your ride if you’re a car nut. That said, I fooled around with the car a bit and added a few new bits and bobs, such as…

…new door LEDs, because the old ones were getting grainy and giving up the ghost…

…replacing the Park button, because the old one was showing its age…

…replacing the Start button, because, why not…

…and adding a sticker to remind me of the car’s model code, in case I forget in my old age.

Mind you, there’s more where that came from, but I’m in two minds if I should slap this on the car, or not. Thoughts, people? Answers on a postcard, please.

Until next time, stay safe, and have fun. Ta-ta

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Boredom is a terrible thing that afflicts all of us, for which there is no known cure other than to spruce up your ride if you’re a car nut. That said, I fooled around with the car a bit and added a few new bits and bobs.

BHPian iliketurtles recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Back when I was in school in the 1960’s, capital punishment was still a thing. It’s why we were made to write feature length essays when we did something wrong, diving into excruciating detail about what we did wrong, how it was a crime against all humankind, and in the end begging for forgiveness.

As you might know by now, I was always quite the expert in waffling on a lot about nothing. Which is about all the update I have you, with not much happening on the car front.

Sure, I’ve been tootling all around town in it at every given opportunity, and it’s been getting its fair share of TLC and fixing-upping. But does that really matter when the world is going into meltdown?

Some days, I just think the world would be a better place if we settled all disputes via a one-on-one match in FIFA. Could you imagine a Russian despot rage-quitting after being bested in a game he thought he was going to win in a landslide, while his opponent does a victory jig all around the room?

Never mind. Cutting social commentary is not what brings you here, dear reader. Let’s move on to the good stuff.

Sense and sensor-bilities

Oxygen sensors, because cars need to breathe too

I have a new appreciation for the swiftness of snail mail after the longgggg wait for the O2 sensor for the car. But, all’s well that ends well, as they say. The Check Engine Light I was getting was entirely due to the old sensor committing seppuku and giving up on life, love, and everything in between.

What I didn’t know was that the car shaved off a bit of performance in an effort to protect itself (I love painting it as a living, breathing being), and the car felt instantly peppier with the new sensor thrown into the mix. Who knew it would be like this; not me, that’s for sure.

Bits and bobs

Boredom is a terrible thing that afflicts all of us, for which there is no known cure other than to spruce up your ride if you’re a car nut. That said, I fooled around with the car a bit and added a few new bits and bobs, such as…

…new door LEDs, because the old ones were getting grainy and giving up the ghost…

…replacing the Park button, because the old one was showing its age…

…replacing the Start button, because, why not…

…and adding a sticker to remind me of the car’s model code, in case I forget in my old age.

Mind you, there’s more where that came from, but I’m in two minds if I should slap this on the car, or not. Thoughts, people? Answers on a postcard, please.

Until next time, stay safe, and have fun. Ta-ta

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The 320LD continues with the B47 diesel engine which was launched a couple of years ago. Power and torque remain the same at 188 BHP and 400 Nm. 0-100 is claimed at 7.6 seconds, which is 0.8 seconds slower than the regular sedan.

BMW 3-Series Gran Limousine 2.0L Diesel AT Review

Will be a tough choice for enthusiasts between the terrific 330i petrol (Review: BMW 330i (G20)) and this diesel which is equally a jewel of an engine!

The 320LD continues with the B47 diesel engine which was launched a couple of years ago. Power and torque remain the same at 188 BHP and 400 Nm. 0-100 is claimed at 7.6 seconds, which is 0.8 seconds slower than the regular sedan. The difference is only 0.4 seconds for the petrol variant.

After plonking myself into the driver's seat and pressing the start button, one immediately notices how much more refined it seems as compared to the older F30. The engine is a distant hum rather than the semi rattle of the older gen, and the vibration is greatly reduced too. The refinement feels a level up.

The 8-speed gearbox in this seems even better calibrated (one would doubt its possible) than in the older F30 gen, and the shifts are a tad bit smoother and less jerky under part throttle. Driving inside the city at low to moderate speeds is perfectly comfortable with the gearbox keeping the engine relaxed, and it will definitely be a good experience for the rear passengers. Driving enthusiastically, the gearbox is even more responsive, downshifting even quicker, and with faster feeling upshifts which give a small jerk in Sport mode. All in all, it does the job perfectly.

When it comes to the powertrain, not much is needed to be said. Its tried and tested, and been available for over 5 years, with a good reliability record in my opinion. Its got the same power figures as before, but it feels a tad bit more peppy in the newer chassis. More than enough torque is available to push you back into your seat, and it revvs freely to the red zone, which is now more pleasing with the better refinement. Like all German 2.0 diesels, this one too is an all-rounder. It will happily cruise in the city, give you fast performance on the highway, and consistently deliver respectable fuel economy.

The car comes equipped with speed warnings for 80 and 120 km/h and the beeps are loud and annoying. Further, the music volume is lowered when the beeps come on (Related thread)!

The suspension, I believe has been tweaked for the long wheelbase. There wasn't much to complain about in the regular 3, which is a near perfect setup. And this seems a tad bit more passenger-focused, with better refinement at low speeds (though the 330i we drove was on 18", while this rides on 17"). Bumps and general unevenness are taken care of without much noise or vibration being felt inside, and on the whole, the ride feels comfortable. At the same time, what is heartening to know is that the long-wheelbase 3 is still fun to drive. With the communicative and well-weighted steering, the suspension isn't sloppy at all, in spite of being softened for the LWB. The car needs to be really hustled, for one to feel that there is a tad bit more body roll, and a very slight bit of resistance to quick direction changes as compared to its sibling with a shorter wheelbase. This really makes the 320LD into a proper all-round package, one which can be sat in behind the chauffeur, and a car which can be pushed to the limit when needed.

Quite a master-class move by BMW in bringing the LWB car here, inspired no doubt by the E-Class LWB. Indians love rear legroom, even if they aren't chauffeur-driven.

BMW 3-Series LWB Pros:

• Very welcome increase in rear legroom & a comfy rear seat
• Doesn't look stretched or weird at all. Proportions are good & the car looks handsome
• Maintains fun-to-drive nature, despite the comfort-oriented changes
• Both engines are simply fantastic! Practical, fun, rev-happy
• The ZF 8-speed AT is the best gearbox in the segment
• Comfortable ride quality. Suspension has been retuned for this LWB version
• We love what BMW has done with the G20’s steering. It’s enjoyable to use
• Lovely cabin, premium build, very supportive seats & a fab driving position
• Enhanced kit includes a 16-speaker sound system, 360-degree cam, panoramic sunroof…
• BMW’s strong track record for reliability (among the luxury marques)
• 5-star NCAP rating & a laundry list of safety equipment
• Worth the extra money over the regular wheelbase car, in my opinion

BMW 3-Series LWB Cons:

• Price is cutting it too close to 5-Series territory (especially after discounts on the 5)
• Sad boot space with the spare wheel underneath
• Surround view, HUD & keyless entry are only in the M-Sport variant
• 320Ld is offered just in the Luxury Line trim (not M-Sport)
• Getting too big & heavy (320d = 1700 kilos) for a model that’s known as a “sports sedan”
• At the very limit, the regular wheelbase 3-Series is more fun to drive
• Rear floor hump is enormous! Car is better as a 4-seater than 5
• Low stance means ingress / egress aren’t senior-citizen friendly
• Runflat tyres come with many compromises, wear out soon & are expensive to replace
• We hate the all-digital instrument console. Also, the rev counter is weirdly inverted
• The 3-Series LWB has a w-i-d-e 5.9 meter turning radius!
• At this price, we expect goodies like Adaptive LEDs, ventilated seats…

Click here to read Team-BHP's detailed BMW 3-Series Gran Limousine LWB Official Review

Thanks to BHPian anarchy_99 for sharing this with other enthusiasts.

BMW India has silently introduced a Sport variant of the 3-Series sedan priced at Rs. 41,70,000. This variant is powered by the same 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 255 BHP @ 5,000 rpm and 400 Nm @ 1,550-4,400 rpm. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The 7th generation 3-Series was launched back in 2018. At launch, only the M Sport trim was offered with a petrol engine. Compared to the M Sport, the new Sport variant is cheaper by Rs. 6.80 lakhs. The car is also sold in the Sport and Luxury line trims with the Diesel engine.

In February 2020, the German carmaker had also launched the Sport variant of the 5-Series at Rs. 55.40 lakh.

Earlier this year, a camouflaged test mule of the seventh generation BMW 3-Series was spotted for the first time in India. Now, new images of the car with lesser camouflage have surfaced online.

The new BMW 3-Series comes with a twin kidney grille up front flanked by twin-pod headlamps. The front bumper has been redesigned and now features slim LED fog lamps. At the rear, the car has new L-shaped tail lights and a revised bumper with twin exhausts. The sporty front and rear bumpers suggest that this could be the M Sport variant. The test vehicle is also riding on multi-spoke alloy wheels. 

On the inside, the new 3-Series gets a redesigned dashboard with a touchscreen infotainment system and a digital instrument cluster. 

In India, the new 3-Series is expected to be offered with a choice of petrol and diesel engine options. It will compete with the Audi A4, the Jaguar XE and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Source: Throttle Blips

According to a media report, BMW is likely to launch the seventh generation 3-Series in India around July 2019. 

The 2019 BMW 3-Series was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show earlier this year. It is based on BMW's Cluster Architecture (CLAR), which is shared with the new 5-Series and 7-Series. It is longer, wider and taller than the outgoing model and has a longer wheelbase as well.

The new 3-Series gets a slimmer twin-kidney grille flanked by redesigned twin-pod LED headlights and a new front bumper. At the rear, it has slim L-shaped tail lights and dual exhausts. The new model comes with a revised dashboard with an 8.8 / 10.25-inch infotainment screen and a digital instrument cluster.

In India, the current 3-Series is available with a choice of two engines - 188 BHP 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel and 248 BHP 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol. There is no word yet on the engines that will be offered on the upcoming model.

Source: Autocar India

BMW has unveiled the 2019 BMW 3-Series at the Paris Motor Show. The sedan is expected to go on sale from March 9, 2019.

The new 3-Series measures 4,709 mm long, 1,827 mm wide and 1,442 mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,851 mm and a boot space of 480 litres. Dimensionally, it is 85 mm longer, 16 mm wider and 1 mm taller than the outgoing car. The wheelbase has also been lengthened by 41 mm.

The visual changes include a dual tone bumper with T-shaped air vents, wraparound twin-LED headlights, and a conjoined kidney grille with a chrome border. At the back it gets slim L-shaped tail lights and dual exhausts. The 3-Series rides on 19-inch alloy wheels.

On the inside, the car gets a black and silver dashboard, a 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel, dual screens set up with an optional 10.25-inch infotainment unit, acoustic windshield, 40:20:40 split folding rear seats and an optional sunroof. It also comes with a digital assistant, head-up display, digital key and a reversing assistant with 360-degree cameras.

The 3-Series is offered with a choice of one petrol and two diesel engines. The 320i/330i gets a 2.0-litre twin-turbo petrol developing a max power of 181/255 BHP @ 5,000-6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 300/400 Nm. The 318d/320d comes with a 2.0-litre diesel engine with 148/188 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 320/400 Nm. The sedan will also be offered with a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder diesel unit good for 262 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 580 Nm, with a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 5.5 seconds. The 320d will get four-wheel-drive as an option.

The company claims a 50:50 weight distribution with a 55 kg reduction in weight over the outgoing model. The rigidity has also been increased by up to 50%, while the coefficient of drag is 0.23. The car gets a host of safety features like active cruise control with stop-go function, steering and lane control assist, cross-traffic alert and wrong way warning systems.

An M Sport variant and a 330e plug-in electric hybrid is also planned to be introduced at a later stage.

Thanks to BHPian sajo for sharing these images with other enthusiasts!

A test mule of the seventh-generation BMW 3-Series has been spotted testing in India. 

The camouflaged test car has L-shaped tail lights that have been a characteristic of BMW cars and is riding on multi-spoke alloy wheels. It has slimmer ORVMs and a shark fin antenna. The test apparatus at the rear suggests that it could be on an emissions testing run.

The BMW 3-Series (G20) is scheduled to be unveiled next month at the Paris Motor Show. Traditionally, BMW showcases high-performance variants of its cars at unveiling events. So, it is likely that the company will display the M340i, which is expected to be powered by a 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder turbocharged engine. This engine is rumoured to produce 355 BHP and 502 Nm of torque and is likely to be paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. 

In India, the new 3-Series is likely to be offered with petrol and diesel engine options. However, BMW has not yet made any announcement regarding the launch of the seventh-generation 3 Series in India.

BMW has launched a limited-edition model of the 3-Series sedan named as the Shadow Edition. The Shadow Edition will be available in two variants - 320d Sport and 330i M Sport priced at Rs. 41.40 lakh and Rs. 47.30 lakh (ex-showroom, India) respectively.

On the outside, the 3-Series Shadow Edition gets a twin-kidney grille finished in gloss black flanked by smoked headlamps. The rear features a set of smoked tail lights and a black chrome exhaust tip. The car rides on new 18-inch alloy wheels. The centre console houses an 8.7-inch infotainment system offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity options. The infotainment system is hooked up to a 205 W audio system. Both models get contrast stitching on the instrument panel.

The 320d Sport Shadow Edition comes with interior trim in Fine-wood trim Ash Grain with Pearl Chrome highlights. It gets a Sport steering wheel with gear shift paddles and red stitching. The vehicle key has matching red trim as well. The 330i M Sport Shadow Edition gets leather Sport seats with interior trim in Dark Aluminium Carbon with Pearl Chrome highlights. The interior features an M-style cockpit with a multi-functional instrument cluster and M leather steering wheel. It gets the M logo on the door sills and an M strip on the vehicle key.

Both models are based off their respective standard offerings. The 320d Sport is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 188 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 400 Nm of peak torque @ 1,750-2,750 rpm. The 330i M Sport employs a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that makes 248 BHP @ 5,200 rpm and 350 Nm @ 1,450-4,800 rpm. Both variants come equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Standard safety features offered on the 3-Series Shadow Edition include 6 air bags, ABS with brake assist, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), ISOFIX child safety seat mounting points and runflat tyres among others. The Shadow Edition models are available in 5 colour options - Alpine White, Black Sapphire and Sunset Orange. The Mediterranean Blue is available on the 320d Sport, while the 330i M Sport is offered in Estoril Blue.