BMW 3 Series review (18/07/2012)
The 3 Series has been a talisman for the growth of BMW and its status as the purveyor of top-drawer products.
BMW’s main rivals are also German, but until recently few, if any, of them could match the 3 Series’s power over the collective mind of Joe Public, and all of them have undoubtedly wished their ranges were armed with such an accomplished and successful contender.
The arrival of the all-new BMW 3 Series has no doubt given even companies of the status of Mercedes and Audi a dose of the chills, because they know BMW has more to bring to the party.
Those companies were wise to be concerned because the new 3 Series is fresh from top to bottom, extracting more from the car’s core values of practicality, quality and refinement, while adding a twist to its sporty nature.
The new car is longer (by 93 mm), has an increased wheelbase (50mm), and has a wider track width (37mm front and 48mm rear), while being 40kg lighter than its predecessor, and yet, it is 10% more rigid thanks to its high-strength steel.
From certain angles you could be fooled into thinking that the new 3 Series is a 5 Series, but this is simply a 3 Series that has grown up a little. The new car is smarter-looking than its predecessor, and it needed to be, given how much the Mercedes C-Class and the Audi A4 have upped the ante.
The interior has been remodelled and the big winners are the rear-seat passengers, who benefit from greatly increased head and leg room.
In recent weeks we have been lucky to try two different versions of the car, both fitted with the venerable two-litre turbodiesel engine — a unit that has defied critics and which, when fitted in the 5 Series, created controversy by powering an executive machine while just extracting the minimum road-tax take from purchasers.
We tested the ED and the Sport versions, both with the same engine, but with differing performance parameters.
The ED (that’s ‘efficient dynamics’) version outputs some 120 kW (163 bhp), has a maximum torque of 380 Nm, a top speed of 230 kph, and a 0-100 kph capability of just eight seconds. The Sport puts out 135 kW (184 bhp), the same 380 Nm of torque, has a top speed of 235 kph, and will achieve the 0-100 kph dash in just 7.5 seconds.
While the Sport has the edge on performance and is equipped with more stuff, including a ‘sport’ auto gearbox, both units are still sensational on economy.
The Sport will return 4.6 l/100 km (60.8 mpg) and the ED will manage a fraction over 4.1 l/100 km (68 mpg).
These figures are fairly astonishing, especially if you think that their performance would have adequately satisfied any self-respecting hot-hatch merchant of recent vintage, while also returning an economy figure that would have been deemed fantastical not so long ago.
Thus, BMW has produced a range of cars whose engine performance is off the scale at both ends, and they have given us an all-rounder that is both sporty and remarkably frugal. That’s impressive in anyone’s language.
Then, there’s the manner in which the 3 Series does that, while also delivering an on-road experience that outdoes a car even with its noble heritage.
I was lucky to be at the European launch of the car, where the driving tests included laps of the Circuit de Catalunya, the home of the Spanish grand prix, outside Barcelona.
To put a road car in such a circumstance more often than not leads to embarrassment and recriminations, but, on this occasion, one could not but be overwhelmed by the manner in which the 3 Series went about its business — no matter how you tortured it.
The handling is fluent yet sporting, the ride firm but manageable, and the steering unbelievably consistent and oozing fluent response.
I could not have been more impressed then, and I am still as impressed now that I have driven two different versions of the car here at home on Irish roads.
This 3 Series is, without a doubt, an improvement on all that has gone before it and it is most likely still the benchmark by which all others are judged.
There is not, perhaps, any more that I can say on the matter, apart from the fact that I don’t believe I have yet come across a machine that delivers as much in terms of driver satisfaction, performance and economy in a single package.
SEAT has announced details of the new Toledo range which, it promises, will be the sportiest saloon in its class, will be priced from around 18,000, come with efficient 1.2 litre petrol and 1.6 TDI engines and arrived in Ireland at the end of 2012.
Seat has produced more than 860,000 units of the first two generations of the Toledo and the Spanish outfit says the latest model new generation will continues with the successful formula by having generous space, a high degree of flexibility, outstanding efficiency and excellent value-for-money.
“The new Toledo will write a whole new success story with its clear Seat identity, its high quality standard and its extraordinary value-for-money,” says James Muir, president of Seat SA.
“The Toledo combines great design with amazing practicality, dynamic driving fun with excellent efficiency. This is how we envisage the perfect saloon. Our customers will say: ‘That is a great car at a great price!’” The all-new Toledo will come to Ireland before year-end and Seat Ireland’s brand director Adam Chamberlain says that it will be a great addition to the newly revitalised SEAT range in Ireland.
“By the time the new Toledo arrives we will have seen a new Ibiza joined by the new SEAT Mii. The Toledo is a key product for the Irish market and we are confident that the new model’s extraordinary value twinned with its practicality and good looks will make it a firm favourite with shrewd Irish buyers.”
As a completely new model the Toledo will make use of the very latest Volkswagen Group engines. For Ireland there will be a petrol offering in the form of the 1.2-litre 75bhp petrol engine, but the main focus will be on the 1.6-litre common-rail TDI unit. The TDI diesel engine — which produces 105 bhp — also offers low emissions of 114g/km placing it in the lowest motor tax band for Ireland, Band A. During 2013, Seat will expand the Toledo diesel line-up with a 90 hp TDI variant.
The standard safety package for all Seat Toledos includes driver and passenger airbags, front side airbags and head/thorax airbags. The car will also come with a 3-year warranty.
Skoda Ireland has a brand new entrant to the small car market. Retailing from just 9,995, the Citigo is available for test drive at Skoda dealerships nationwide.
The Citigo is available in 3 and 5-door alternatives with two petrol engine options, including 1.0 Litre 60bhp and 75bhp power units with fuel economy from 4.5l/100km. VRT and Road Tax falls into Band-A thanks to emissions of just 105g/km.
With ESP and side Head Thorax airbags fitted as standard the new
Citigo is one of the safest cars in its class achieving a 5-star rating from the EuroNCAP.
According to Justin Galvin, dealer principal of Skoda main dealers Finbarr Galvin Ltd, Bandon, the Citigo has already won several motoring awards across Europe and is ready to shake up the small car market here in Ireland.
“The Citigo will appeal to a wide range of motorists from the family looking for a viable second car to the more mature motorist seeking a small car with comfort and efficiency, to the first-time buyer who is looking for new car technology at an affordable price. We are also forecasting demand with Ireland’s lowest priced automatic car — the Citigo 1.0MPI 60bhp ASG from just 10,745,” Mr Galvin commented.
The Ford Focus looks set again this year to win the title of Ireland’s favourite car as Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) figures show that the model has claimed the top spot in car sales here for the first six months of the year. Since Jan 1, Focus has notched up 3,245 sales in the Irish market, putting it ahead of the Nissan Qashqai (2,930) and VW Golf (2,775).
Focus also topped the charts for the month of June with sales of 353 units, ahead of the Toyota Yaris (258) and the Nissan Qashqai (244).
“Since its first launch here in 1998, the Focus nameplate has been a strong favourite with Irish motorists, taking the top spot for 11 of the last 14 years”, said Eddie Murphy, chairman and managing director, Ford Ireland. “Irish motorists love its mix of stylish looks, great driving dynamics and high levels of reliability. We are delighted to see Focus’ popularity holding up in a weak market.”
The Focus range in Ireland has been recently extended to include the award-winning and record-breaking new 1.0 litre Ecoboost Focus. The new Ford 1.0 litre Ecoboost high efficiency petrol engine was named International Engine of the Year 2012 just last month. The Focus 1.0 litre Ecoboost also broke 16 world speed records at a test track in France in May of this year.
The Opel Astra GTC has been given the prestigious “red dot design award” by a panel of international judges in this year’s product design category. The compact coupé, which had its market launch a couple of months ago, has been recognised for being sporty, efficient and packed full of innovative technologies with captivating design.
The 30 judges praised the Astra GTC for “scoring points with its striking and sporty design”.
