A few years ago BMW brought the 5 Series GT to market and people recoiled in horror. Well, the sort of people who are kept up at night by the shape of cars. BMW is the brand that makes the 3 Series, 6 Series and M5 – amazing cars to both look at and drive, yet they managed to come up with the turkey that is the 5 Series GT. This large, rather ugly vehicle may have been very comfortable, but it didnt offer the space of an estate car or the sharp dynamic handling of a well-sorted sedan. Instead, the world was given a portly, expensive, high-riding car loosely based on the 5 Series sedan, but with all the discomfort of an older, high-riding SUV.
Launch of the new BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo in South Africa
With this history in mind, I approached the launch of the new BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo with caution. The press pictures did not bode well. They showed a long, badly proportioned car shot in dim lighting to hide many of the details. Im rather pleased to report that the 3 Series GT shares only its name with its 5 Series GT sister.
Thanks to South Africans hatred for estate cars (something Im battling to understand), BMW SA have chosen not to introduce the 3 Series Touring to the local market. Instead, theyve chosen the Gran Turismo, designed as a merger between the sportiness of the sedan and the practicality of the Touring.
3 Series Driving Dynamics
In order to wear a 3 Series moniker, the BMW 3 Series GT needs to ride and handle with the poise and sharpness of its sedan sibling. With its larger bulk, tipping the scales at 1565kg, the 3 Series GT may be less nimble than the sedan variant, but its certainly no fat ballerina.
Add to this the power units available – I spent time in the 328i and 320d – and the 3 Series GT certainly retains a lot of the original 3 Series DNA. Power on the petrol 328i is from a 2,0l four-cylinder that has been turbocharged to produce 180kW and 350 Nm, propelling the 1,5 ton bulk from 0-100km/h in 6,1 seconds.
The 320d is slightly less powerful, developing 135kW, but makes up for this with 380 Nm of torque, giving a very satisfying surge in the 5,7 seconds it takes to get from 0-100km/h.
Power is delivered, as is traditional in a BMW, to the rear-wheels, via either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, with or without steering wheel mounted shift paddles. On launch I missed the chance to try the manual, but the automatic unit is remarkably smooth and quick, with no jerk shifting in either automatic guise nor in manual override.
3 Series GT Design
The new BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo is an elegant car. A long bonnet with a more gradual curve into the famous kidney grill than that of the sedan, with a door sill line running high along the cars flank. It looks stately and regal, rather than aggressive and racey.
The front kidney grills are wider than on other BMWs, making the car itself look wider and more relaxed. On the front fender, there is a small notch for the BMW AirCurtains, designed to allow air in over the brakes for stability, and to minimise road noise. Along the side there is a deep crease in the metal, following the angle of the bonnet to the start of the rear overhang.
Around the rear, an all-new boomerang light design has been created and paired with the shorter rear overhang. The 3 Series GT has an almost sedan-like appearance when viewed straight-on from the rear. The long rear luggage area creates an unusual yet pleasant appearance, an appearance familiar from that of another German luxury manufacturers vehicle.
BMW Individuality
BMW not only identified but could well be credited with creating the design trend dubbed mass individuality. Essentially, a brand mass produces an item with a number of key customisation options to give the customer a feeling of individuality and personalisation. The 3 Series GT fits here rather nicely. Available in Luxury, Modern or Sport specification (with the M-Sport package available soon), the BMW 3 Series GT buyer can customise their individual vehicle as much or as little as theyd like to. As with all BMWs, there is a long option list available. By our count, 17 exterior colours are available. Pair this with the numerous interior colours and alloy wheel designs, and each 3 Series GT sold will be be as unique as the person buying it.
Room & Functionality
A key element of the brief to the Gran Turismo engineers was to maintain the 3 Series traditional sporty handling, as well as incorporate a large amount of luggage space – since the 3 Series GT would be sold outside of Europe instead of the Touring model.
The boot has a capacity of 520l, up by 25l from the Touring model. An extra 70mm of rear legroom places it between the 5 and 7 Series in terms of rear legroom.
To incorporate all the extra space for passengers and luggage, the 3 Series GT is 200mm longer, 17mm wider and 81mm taller than the 3 Series sedan. The wheelbase has also been extended by 110mm, with 70mm going to rear legroom.
BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo conclusion
The BMW 3 Series GT is well designed, well built and although not cheap, an attractive option to the BMW buyer who needs just a tad more space. The sad fact is that while its almost certainly a better vehicle than many of the smaller SUVs on the market, BMW will struggle to sell the 3 Series Gran Turismo in South Africa thanks to our allergy to estate cars and love of owning an SUV. Its a shame, as the 3 Series GT is spacious, well equipped and has a ride height only a trifle lower than the current crop of soft roaders, yet in my opinion buyers will likely flock to SUVs for the perceived comfort and space that the GT just cant quite communicate.
