Is this every BMW 3-series you ever
wanted rolled into one, or a white elephant? Mark T. ponders the new 3-series
GT
A derelict estate of ugly high-rise
building associated with crime and poverty might seem an odd metaphor for a new
premium hatchback.
When it was built, the now deserted but
still tantalizingly photogenic Heygate Estate in south London was supposed to
be the start of a new way of living while serving Britain’s post-war housing
boom. The buildings were linked by raised walkways and integrated into the
local transport network and amenities to create a sense of community and
connection between work, home and social lives.
The
new BMW 3-series Gran Turismo (3GT) is meant to be more than just a 3-series
Like many other developments now in a
similar state across the UK, it was meant to be more than just a place to live,
much as the new BMW 3-series Gran Turismo (3GT) is meant to be more than just a
3-series. No matter how exceptional it is to drive, the 3-series is not the
ideal car for everyone who craves a 3-series. The saloon isn’t big enough
inside for some, the Touring is still not practical enough for others, and both
body styles are not quite stylish enough or lack the presence of an
all-conquering and increasingly fashionable SUV for a few more.
Step forward, then, the 3GT, the first new
addition to the 3-series range on these shores since the Compact in 1993.
The 3GT is meant to offer all the best bits
of the current 3-series – chiefly, the way it drives – with all the extras that
it doesn’t currently have in its armory: practicality close to that of a
5-series Touring, a spacious cabin that wouldn’t look out of place in an MPV, a
driving position akin to that of an SUV, rakish coupé looks on a five-door
liftback body, and the promise of all-wheel drive to come.
The
front has been lifted straight from the 3-series copybook; the driving position
is similar to the X1’s
Its ambitious brief follows feedback from
3-series owners about improvements that they would like to see on their car to
stop them from going to ‘try something new’ from another brand when the time
comes to replace their 3-series. But give people what they want and they’ll
often ask for something else. This is one of the challenges BMW faces with the
3GT.
Thankfully, the end result is much more
pleasing on the eye than the 3GT’s bigger brother, the rather ungainly
proportioned 5-series GT, which had a similar jack-of-all-trades brief, to
create a spacious and versatile model in the luxury segment. The 3GT still
lacks subtlety next to the more classically proportioned 3-series saloon and
Touring models, but it doesn’t stand out for the wrong reasons in a line of
traffic. Certainly, it’s a more contemporary looker than the 5GT and familiar
enough for its purpose to be recognized.
Inside, you’ll find a front cabin lifted
almost straight from the rest of the 3-series range, so there are no complaints
here about design, functionality or quality. As with the exterior, BMW has played
a straight bat and got the basics right rather than resorted to gimmicks. The
driving position is about the same height as an X1’s – not quite high enough to
peer into the Heygate Estate’s skywalks but enough to give a commanding view of
the road. Front visibility is good. Rear visibility is compromised slightly by
the sloping roofline and long C-pillars (but not as much as in the 5GT), but
the overall feeling is one of airiness, particularly if you go for the optional
panoramic roof.
The
3GT was unlikely ever to match the dynamic highs of the standard 3-series
When it comes to driving the 3GT, you’re no
longer scratching your head and wondering if the car is supposed to be a
hatchback, jacked-up estate or something trying to find a fashionable way of
saying ‘MPV’. To get the best out of it, you need the optional $1125 M Sport
adaptive dampers. They bring a real suppleness to the ride, sharpen the
handling and control the body roll better. Thus equipped, there’s little that
bugs you in the 3GT’s dynamic repertoire, if you can tolerate the 2.0-liter
turbo diesel engine’s gruff note.
And it’s the dynamics of the 3GT that are
its real trump card. You can have a great concept for a multi-talented car on
paper, but if it’s rubbish to drive, no one will buy it. The 3GT was unlikely
ever to match the dynamic highs of the standard 3-series, but when you drive
it, you know you’re driving a 3-series, albeit one whose extra size and heft
deny it the sheer polish of the saloon.
