Review
BMW 320i Gran Turismo
BMW renewed the 3 Series Gran Turismo last summer. Since its launch three years ago, Gran Turismo has sold more than 130,000 copies worldwide. The new Gran Turismo received, among other things, a sportier appearance on the outside, a more qualitative appearance on the inside and engines of the latest generation. We were introduced to the GT through a test drive with the 320i Gran Turismo.
Design
BMW added the Gran Turismo three years ago as a brand new member of the 3 Series family. It became a cross between a sedan, a station wagon and a coupe. Visually, the lines are not exactly our personal taste, but it is a car that is very practical to use. Mainly due to its spacious and versatile interior and the luggage capacity of a station wagon, this model succeeded in attracting new buyers to the brand. For example, in Germany half of the buyers of this model are new customers for BMW and in China this is even the case for more than 90% of buyers.
Room
The GT is much more spacious than its brothers in the 3 series family. The 3 Gran Turismo has a length of more than 4.8 meters, making it almost 20 cm longer than the other models in the 3 series family. There is plenty of space inside. In the back there are three full-size seats with plenty of legroom, comparable to that in a large sedan. With a raised seating position of 59 mm you have a good view of the road and traffic. You open the suitcase with a tailgate. In this spacious suitcase you have a loading capacity of 520 liters to 1600 liters when you fold the rear seat completely down.
Motorizations
The 3 series Gran Turismo is available with the latest generation of engines. There are 3 petrol versions available with power from 184 hp to 326 hp: the 320i, 330i and 340i. These 3 models are also available with xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive. Prices range from 38,350 euros for a 320i with manual gearbox and 57,125 euros for a 340i xDrive Gran Turismo with Steptronic.
There are five versions available in the diesel range with a power varying between 150 hp and 313 hp. The entry-level car is a 318d with a base price of €37,100. The top version is the 335d xDrive for a price of 58,075 euros with steptronic.
320i Gran Turismo
We went out with a 320i GT. This has a 1,998 cc petrol engine with 4 cylinders in-line. This block produces a power of 184 hp and has a max. torque of 290 Nm. In terms of transmission, our test car was equipped with an eight-speed steptronic automatic transmission and the drive is on the rear wheels. The 320i GT goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds and has a top speed of 230 km/h.
In the interior of the 3 Series Gran Turismo, more attention has also been paid to the luxurious experience. New materials have been used and different accents have been placed here and there. The feel of materials and ergonomics were also examined. On the outside, the GT looks sportier. In particular, the standard LED headlights for low and high beam and the LED rear lights give the GT a dynamic look. On the 320i GT, among others, you will also find a double exhaust, which also contributes to the sporty look.
Conclusion
The BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo is very practical to use thanks to its spacious and versatile interior and the luggage capacity of a station wagon. Thanks to the slightly higher seating position, you have a good view of the traffic and the fact that there is room for three adults in the back is also an asset. Although we are fans of the look of the 3 series sedan and touring, in our opinion the GT is the least attractive car in the family.
Johan De Haes
Test driver
