All-wheel-drive all the way
This year the Alpine regions of Europe waited a long time for the arrival of real winter weather. But when it came it was with a vengeance. Temperatures below minus twenty degrees Celsius and repeated warnings of dire traffic conditions prompted many drivers to think seriously about all-wheel-drive models. For buyers the sporty, elegant and lively 3-Series coupés built by BMW are seen as extremely desirable autos. Until recently, however, 4x4 traction was reserved for the premium series. But now all-wheel-drive has become an option for almost all models in the manufacturer’s portfolio, even those powered by smaller engines. And one of these is the basic coupé, the BMW 320d xDrive.
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- In the there are often signs at the roadside warning that the next stretch of the journey can only be taken by cars with all-wheel-drive or by those fitted with chains.
Those in the habit of crossing the German border to go skiing in neighbouring Austria or Switzerland will have taken note of the signs at the roadside… that a stretch of the journey can only be taken by cars with all-wheel-drive or by those fitted with chains. Anyone daring to continue with merely winter rubber mounted on their wheels risks incurring a hefty fine if caught. The aim of the law enforcement bodies is to reduce the chance that drivers become immobilized on even minor inclines and thus block other traffic. Drivers who have sat in jams caused by this kind of incaution in previous winters will not contest the rules.
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- With its four pot mill putting out 184 horsepower (135 kW) it cannot deliver performance which can be deemed breathtaking, but it is a solid and practical motorization.
Coupé instead of SUV
But nobody relishes the task of fitting snow chains and there is little need to describe the unpleasant driving experience when chains are mounted. And so with all-wheel-drive there are several birds killed with one stone, more than just the possibility of a weekend trip into the mountains without any attendant stress. The driver who wants to benefit from 4x4 mobility is by no means obliged to go for an SUV when there is the alternative of a decently powered mid-class coupé like the BMW 320d. With its four pot mill putting out 184 horsepower (135 kW) it cannot deliver performance which can be deemed breathtaking, but it is a solid and practical motorization. The common rail diesel makes no pretence of being like a petrol fuelled engine and certainly not when the weather is freezing cold. But the motor sound is quite agreeable and the high revs are welcome not only by those whose priority is driving dynamics.
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- The coupé can do the sprint to a hundred in 7.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 232 kilometres an hour… data which hardly deserve to be described as sporty.But the 4x4 technology has added about a hundred kilos to the car’s kerb weight.
The two-litre diesel has taken a central place among the motorizations offered by the Bavarian car maker. 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, X1 or X3… almost all of BMW’s key models in the high volume production series will employ this power plant with output ranging from 143 to 218 horsepower. The diesels have long been freed of their starting weaknesses through constant further development and can now deliver 380 Nm of torque from a low 1,750 RPM. It can do the sprint to a hundred in 7.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 232 kilometres an hour… data which hardly deserves to be described as sporty. Perhaps the only downside is that the 4x4 technology has added about a hundred kilos to the car’s kerb weight. Whereas the 320d Coupé tipped the scales as 1,500 kilos the xDrive weighs 1.6 tons. This factor reduces the maximum velocity by five kilometres an hour and raises the fuel consumption from 4.7 litres per hundred kilometres driven to 5.2 litres. However these disadvantages are quickly forgotten on our drive into the Austrian Alps. The road leading up to the high plateau is icy and in many places covered with snow. But the 320d xDrive proceeds with stoical calm, allowing the driver to cast a sympathetic glance in the direction of the unfortunate struggling in light snowfall with the task of fitting snow chains onto his Peugeot 407 SW.
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- When the weather is really chilly the promised averaged fuel consumption of 5.2 litres of diesel becomes really illusory. In practice our BMW 320d xDrive needed between 7.3 and 8 litres and that is… even with all-wheel-drive and 1.6 tons of car to push… simply too much for a four-cylinder diesel.
High performance, high consumption
When the going becomes steeper it is a good idea to press the DTC/DSC button on the dashboard. In DTC mode the 3-Series coupé’s winter wheels… almost embarrassing 16 inchers… are allowed to have more slip. This increases the dynamics for the rest of the ascent to Kühtai, at 2,020 metres above sea level. The feeling is of robust running gear, of precise steering and crisp manual gear-shifting. Surprising, perhaps, that so much enjoyment can be had from a four-cylinder diesel. There is an optional automatic transmission available but it is hardly to be seen as essential. The combination of motor, transmission and four-wheel-drive with variable power delivery is perfectly adequate for the task, even if at the upper end of the RPM scale a bit more push could be wished for from the 320. It is at this point that the advantages of a six-cylinder engine will be apparent. When the weather is really chilly the promised averaged fuel consumption of 5.2 litres of diesel becomes really illusory. In practice our BMW 320d xDrive needed between 7.3 and 8 litres and that is… even with all-wheel-drive and 1.6 tons of car to push… simply too much for a four-cylinder diesel. On the other hand, the 4x4 was happy to reach the 240 kilometres an hour mark on the autobahn on the way home.
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- The comfort of the 3-Series sports seats is exceptional and the instrumentation an controls are as good as any in the premium segment. Even for longer journeys this is a supremely comfortable automobile.
As attractive as the package may be… efficient four-cylinder diesel plus all-wheel-drive… it cannot be said that even the entry-level 320d xDrive is anything resembling a bargain. The pricing starts at exactly forty thousand Euros, including an extra 2,600 Euros for the xDrive system). The on top there are the costs for heated leather upholstered seats (from 1,820 Euros, navigation system (an exorbitant 2,840 Euros), Bluetooth connectivity (300 Euros) and the optional automated air conditioning (770 Euros). This brings the total investment close to the fifty thousand mark. A consolation is that the standard equipment includes Xenon headlights, basic climate control, aluminium wheels and separately retractable rear seating. The comfort of the 3-Series sports seats is exceptional and the instrumentation and controls are as good as any in the premium segment. Even for longer journeys this is a supremely comfortable automobile. Oh yes, and for an extra 200 Euros there can be a hatch permitting the stowage of skis… very useful, that!
