BMW 320D Touring Lifestyle Review

BMW claims to have invented the compact sports sedan segment with the original 3 Series in 1975. Whether or not this claim stands up to scrutiny is almost irrelevant in the light of the iconic status achieved by these vehicles. The 3 Series set the standard in its segment for most of these 35 years, although the C-Class Mercedes has eclipsed it of late. From sports sedan comes sports wagon and the 320d Touring Lifestyle offers a great combination of BMW flair, easy performance and miserly fuel consumption. One item leaps out of the specifications pages: top speed 231 km/h. In Germany that might be useful but in the Australian context it merely serves to emphasise what a multi-talented little wagon this is. It has really only been this century that diesel engines and high performance have been fellow travelers. On a highway drive at 100 to 110 km/h, the fuel economy gauge consistently sat closer to 4.0 than 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres. Now, that is serious performance, twenty-first century style!

Design

BMW’s designers have produced a compact wagon that looks every bit as stylish as the sedan. The slope of the roofline and curvature of the sides combine with the strikingly styled alloy wheels to give the 320d Touring a rakish demeanour. The shape is probably better suited to lighter colours, which show its many curves to greater effect. This cabin is perhaps not as plush as you might expect for the money but the design is neat and uncluttered.

Accommodation

The ‘Dakota’ leather is rather hard to the touch and the front seats would benefit from improved bolstering. BMW Australia describes these perches as being ‘partly electric’ but the fore/aft adjustment is via a fiddly little lever rather than the more practical full-width bar, which looks like a cost-cutting measure. Some of the other controls are unpleasant to operate, notably the steering wheel adjustment which is stiff and jerky. Instrumentation is good and the trademark BMW instantaneous fuel consumption gauge is especially welcome. The infamous i-Drive is less counter-intuitive than it used to be but remains overly complex to operate. The lack of pockets on the backs of the front seats is an irritation, as is the shortage of stowage spaces, all too familiar on a BMW. There is good room for rear passengers but the load area is quite short in length and small in volume. Welcome inclusions are a waterproof folding box and a reversible mat with protective cover.

Performance & Economy

What a great engine this 2.0-litre BMW diesel is. It produces 135 kW of power, which beats many petrol engines of the same displacement. But it is the 380 Nm of torque, available from 1900 to 2750 rpm that is at the heart of the 320d Touring’s lively performance. A zero to 100 km/h sprint time of 7.9 seconds does not by itself convey the effortlessness of this sports wagon’s cross-country ability. This combination of torque with power higher in the rpm range helps it devour hills. Although BMW equips some of its dearer cars with an eight-speed automatic, six gears always feels like an elegant sufficiency for this agile machine with the low kerb weight of 1520 kilograms. The blend of high performance and low thirst is outstanding. (You begin to see value in $62,900 plus options and on-road costs.)

 Ride & Handling
The steering lacks the magnificent feel and perfect weighting of some other BMWs and rates as good to very good rather than excellent. But overall this is a very accomplished machine which will suit keen drivers. Run-flat tyre technology has progressed and the 320d rides better than many earlier models on run-flats. We would still prefer a proper spare wheel and tyre.

Conclusion
BMWs command hefty prices but if you want a sporty compact wagon of considerable style and great frugality to keep for several years, the little BMW with the mouthful of name is worth checking out.