Thursday, November 12, 2015

BMW Malaysia launches the 3 Series Facelift


Newly launched this evening is the BMW 3 Series Facelift. In a nutshell you get this - 

BMW 318i Luxury Line: RM208,800  - Effectively replacing the 316i but with one cylinder less. But with better equipment inside. It gets luxury spec instead of normal spec.  3 cylinder turbocharged 1.5liter - 136 hp / 220 Nm  torque 0-60mph 8.9secs. You can now tell your friends you bought a BMW with a Perodua Axia type of engine (3 cylinders). That three cylinder thrum would make it a different sounding BMW. Tell your friends this is half a BMW M3 (the M3 has a 3.0liter engine with turbos so do the math 3.0 divided by 2 = 1.5. Yay!!!! But heck, RM208,000 for a engine relation of the Perodua Viva clad in a larger body and more luxury clothing. Of course, road tax would be cheap. Under RM90 per year. 

BMW 320i Sport LIne: RM238,800 -  4 cylinder 2.0liter - 190hp /290Nm torque 0-60mph 7.2secs. The one that most will strive to buy.



BMW 320i M Sport: RM258,800 - same stuff as the 320i Sport line but with a macho bodykit (compare the above with the opening photo) with the same amount of power but you can tell your friends that you bought a sporty car that cannot outrun the normal car in which is RM20,000 cheaper. You are all flashy.

BMW 320d M Sport: RM268,800 - 4 cylinder 2.0diesel 180hp /380nm torque 0-60mph in 7.2secs but should sound like a taxi. Trust me. Most BMW diesels sound like taxis. From 1985. Powerful they may be but they sound like taxis.

BMW 330i M Sport: RM308,800 - This is essentially the pre-facelift 328i. So you get the same 4 cylinder 2.0liter engine as the 320i but with a retune so that it makes 252hp / 350nm torque 0-60mph in 5.8secs

Bad new aside from the fact that if you desperately want a BMW 3 Series but only have RM210,000 to spend it would be a Perodua Kelisa engine with 500cc more and a turbocharger plonked in is the fact that there are no official 6 cylinder BMW 3 Series on sale (There is a 340i with a 3.0liter turbocharged engine elsehwhere). Unless you opt for the BMW M3. That is great. If not for the fact that it is more than double the price of the 330i M Sport. So you get three cylinders four cylinders but no six cylinders UNLESS it is expensive. 

There. Short and sweet. 



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