New F30 BMW 3-Series - Evolution, not a Revolution and a bit on the earlier E90 3-series

It's a Monday morning over here and I've decided to tell you readers what I think of the new BMW 3-Series. I suppose staying home and waiting for an electrical appliance to arrive allows more time for thoughts to come spilling out of me. In a nutshell, the new BMW 3-Series, codenamed F30 is pretty much like the outgoing E90 3-Series. It looks pretty much the same with the exception of the front. Much like the fridge my wife recently purchased. It basically looks the same as the outgoing one - square with doors on it. Okay, not exactly a fridge but you do get what I mean.

The front seems longer and more pronounced than before accentuating the rear wheel drive nature of the car (but I think the current Mercedes C-class does this better - it looks more rear-wheel accentuated with its fat rear arches). It still is a 'traditional' BMW 3-series in that the styling still looks evolutionary instead of a totally radical revamp. Current E90 and E46 owners may feel totally relieved as the new car does not make their model look like something totally out of date and irrelevant. That being said, the styling is summed up like this - new front end, but from the A-pillar backwards, everything is the same. Yawn. Yes, I feel it is slightly boring. More F01 7-Series long bonnet styling please.


Other important details like how long, how large or how heavy it is can be found nearly everywhere else. I've decided to focus on what I think is important. Important details are that the car looks pretty much the same, weighs pretty much the same - BMW claims that the new 320d will weigh in at 1,420kg, which is the same as the outgoing model. But it is larger overall, with a 50mm longer wheelbase. This means that it is up there with both its serious competitors, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes Benz C-class.

Again, back to styling, BMW seems to be playing it safe a tad bit. Place it beside the current B8 Audi A4 and the glitzy Mercedes C-class it still looks plainer than either one mentioned. I suppose people buy this for the sake that it is 'the Ultimate Driving Machine'. This new car still weighs in at around 1,400kg and if you notice, the current E90 (pictured below) isn't 'the Ultimate' if you buy the 2.0liter petrol version as its accleration is lame. It may handle superbly but at the traffic lights, it's just plain lame. Of course you can tweak that later but out of the showroom it's just lame for an over RM200,000 car. It's actually just as fast as the current Honda Civic 2.0 sedan in a straight line.

Which is why there is news that sometime in 2012 BMW will launch a light-pressure turbo variant running 184bhp to keep up with the other continentals mentioned. I've driven the B8 Audi A4 and been in the current W204 C-class and both aren't slouches in the handling and performance department, unlike the current E90 320i on sale in Malaysia. That car badly needs more shove. Its 150 or so bhp isn't enough to make it a really fun or JOYous drive.

Yes, the steering and handling is beautiful, but so's the steering and handling in the C-class. The handling in the Audi A4 is clinical but its performance outstanding, especially with the CVT gearbox on the base 1.8TFSI. So what I am saying here is that the base JOYful  car (BMW's marketing at work claims that their car gives people this certain feeling) is not the ultimate driving machine nor does it give any pleasure to me except for the fine handling. I suppose it is JOYous to be walloped  silly in a straight line by an Audi or a Mercedes. But nevermind, the supposed new turbocharged 320i should fix it. Hopefully.

BMW Malaysia should bring this in around the same time UK gets this car, which should be early 2012. Diehard BMW enthusiasts should now jump for JOY. I on the other hand will be quite skeptical until I drive one.