Sport Sedan Grand Master

BMW’s famed F30 received a mild mid-life facelift towards the end of 2015, with some small tweaks to the exterior, interior and chassis.The biggest news were the new and improved engines, fine-tuned for better performance and fuel economy. I adored driving the 335i with its 3.0-litre straight-six in 2014, so when its replacement, the beefier 340i arrived in my driveway, I was keen to jump in behind the steering wheel straight away.

Conservative Changes

Unless someone points out the changes to you, you’d have to be severely pedantic to notice anything different. The 340 i’s “face” features striking optional LED headlights that adjust illumination to specific driving conditions. (If you opt for the LED package you’ll also get cornering lights).The  front bumper has been remodelled as well. From the rear, there’s a small chance you may notice the new bumper, with L-shaped LED lights (as standard) set wide apart. On the inside, it’s the same cockpit layout with its driver-facing fascia and straight-forward, no-nonsense instrument binnacle. There are chrome and glossy piano black accents to ‘zoosh’ the dark interior up a little, but it’s still nowhere near Mercedes-Benz C-Class standards, with regards to a feeling of luxury and elegance. I’m almost tempted to say the 3-series’ cabin is more suited to the heterosexual male species than the C-Class. But however non-exciting the inner styling is, things are neat, organized and well-executed. Our test model’s beige interior contrasted nicely with the black roof liner and otherwise dark cabin. A chunky, M-emblemed steering wheel begs to be taken hold of.

Sufficiently raspy

Keen to get going, I start the engine. There’s that familiar growl, similar to the 335i. Sure, it has been augmented to sound more carnal, but it’s still impressive. I keep the window open to hear it better. Then I pull away from standstill at full throttle, and it takes me 5 seconds to reach a 100. According to BMW’s figures, the 340i is just a fraction of a second (or two) faster to the 100km/h mark than the 335i. The 340i is also the closest you’ll get to driving the almighty M3, being the only other 3 Series with an inline six-cylinder engine.

Surprisingly Frugal

Later I drive to Stellenbosch from Hermanus, on my favourite stretch of public petrolhead-heaven - the R44 between Kleinmond and Gordon’s Bay. It’s just very unfortunate that it’s Valentine’s Day, and every man and his dog is on their way somewhere. From Rooi-Els onwards (ie. around all the good twisty bits), I’m at the wrong end of an endless queue of cars, averaging 70 km / h. Oh,the frustration! No choice then but to switch to Eco Mode and to see how much fuel I can preserve. When you’re in Eco Mode, the display shows you how many kilometres you’re “winning” by driving sensibly. And when you’re not rushing, you can appreciate the beautiful view, as well as BMW’s stellar sound system. By the time we got to Stellenbosch, our combined consumption was only 7.9 litres per 100 km. When we left I reset the trip computer again to get our urban consumption figure, which was a rather surprising 11.5  litres per 100 km. Not bad for 240 kW and 450 Nm of torque, is it?

Let’s do the twist

On the way home, things had quietened down considerably, so I took the same route. This time I could really sink the 340i’s teeth into those corners, and rhythmically clip those apexes. On Sport Mode, the 340i becomes markedly more responsive, and on Sport + the electronic assistance systems take a back seat so you can really let the 340i’s hair down. Steering is also sharpened and feels heavier - I have nothing to critique here. The standard 8-speed automatic ZF-gearbox seems almost telepathic, and hums pleasantly when it shifts. If you’re a true enthusiast, you’ll want to use the steering wheel mounted ‘flappy paddles’. I think my fingers are a bit short because I didn’t find it very comfortable. Oh well, there’s always the Steptronic ‘shifter if you really want to go the ‘manual’ route. And that new B58 engine? It’s smoother and creamier than the N55 used in the 335i, and quite comfortable being revved up to 7500 rpm, without breaking a sweat. Then there’s the way the 340i’s taut body seems to melt into every bend...It’s a driver’s car indeed.

Sport Sedan with a plan

So, is the 3 Series the undisputed king of Executive Sedan-Land? Competition is tough here. Apart from the C-class there’s also the Jaguar XE ( 2016 COTY finalist), with delightful steering and a good array of standard equipment. The 340i’s direct rival here is the Jaguar XE 3.0 Supercharged S, with a 3.0-litre engine capable of 250kW. At R961 092, it’s rather pricey. (Mind you, the 340i came to R845 000 with all the added kit.)
But where gearboxes and engines are concerned - the smoothness and refinement of the 3 Series, specifically the 340i, gets my vote. If you deem an opulent interior more important than that, the C-Class wins. But the 340i so lovingly injects passion and sophistication into your day - whether you’re driving kids around, putting bags of potting soil into the spacious 480 litre boot, or taking a road trip into the heart of the Karoo. It’s a sexy, sharp yet practical car - the perfect marriage between fun and functionality. And if you can get away with the above mentioned 11.5 l /100 km in the city... Where do I sign?

Facts & Figures:

Price	: R 693 883 (For the M Sport, but prices for the 340i start at R 666 000)
Engine	: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol
Transmission	: 8-speed Sports Steptronic
Power	: 240
Torque	: 450 Nm
Top Speed	: 250km/h (electronically governed)
0-100 km/h	: 5.1 seconds
Ground clearance	: 140 mm
Luggage volume	: 480 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: 7.8 - 11.5 l /100 km
Warranty	: 2-year / unlimited km
Maintenance Plan	: 5-year / 100 000 km