A week with the BMW Gran Turismo

For any marketeer, one way to keep up the dominance in the marketplace is to keep filling gaps between different product offerings.

With the segmentation of products getting more and more complicated, price is not the only determining factor for purchase. BMW has been trying to leverage on this philosophy and hence, we have the GT. Spending a week with this car was indeed a delight. Read to know more about the BMW 3 GT.

BMW 3 GT Design

The 3-Series GT,  which stands for Gran Turismo, is a car that is positioned for buyers who want something more than a regular 3 series sedan, but would not want to go into the 5 series territory.  The 3-Series GT offers the practicality of an estate, without actually becoming one. We know that estates have not done well in India, unlike some other countries. Being a 3-Series, the GT has the size and space of a 5 series and this sports tourer is quite a nice blend of their virtues.

First up, from the front, it is identical to the 3-Series sedan,but having slightly elongated headlamps. The difference is seen from the side, where the stretched wheelbase, which is 110mm longer and the curved roofline mark the difference from the sedan. The tail is also different, more of a notchback. Overall the design is more coupe-like and the doors are frameless. The rear has a cleverly concealed active spoiler, which is electrically operated and works to provide downforce to the car at high speeds. It automatically extends as the car cross 110 km/h and then retracts below 70 km/h. It can be manually operated too with the help of a button located on the driverside door. The 18-inch wheels look elegant

BMW 3 GT Interior

The interior is familiar to the 3-Series sedan with identical layout and materials. The two-tone black and tan theme is classy. The perfect driving position can be achieved easily with tweaking the seats and steering wheel positions. While the seats are electrically adjustable, the steering wheel is manual and has a rather ordinary lever, not befitting a premium car. I also would have preferred the horn console on the steering wheel to have better quality of finish. The biggest advantage that the GT has over its sedan sibling is that it offers oodles of space at the rear. Even with the front seats pushed back to accomodate a six feet person, there is good legroom for rear passengers. Rear seats are comfortable and seat two individuals with great comfort. A third person may not be comfortable due to the raised floor in the centre. The rear headrests are adjustable and the rear AC vents have an independent temperature control too. There is good space in the door panels to accomodate water bottles. A panoramic sunroof adds to the joy.

Apart from the increased space at the rear, the GT offers a huge boot space of 520 litres, which is as much as that of a 5 series. The elongated wheelbase and doing away with three box styling does the trick. The boot opens up alongwith the rear glass to expose a large storage area which is very easy to access. In fact the boot can be easily accessed from the rear seat too, by dropping the centre portion of the rear backrest.

 The good thing is that the tailgate is electrically operated. It opens and closes by itself completely by a long press of the boot switch on the key. There is also a switch on the boot lid to close.

BMW 3 GT Engine

The GT sports a 320d 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel engine delivering 184 bhp @ 4000rpm and 320 Nm of torque @ 1750-2750rpm. This is mated to an eight-speed dual clutch automatic transmission which a boon to drive.  It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds. BMW claims a fuel efficiency of 19.59 km/l for this car. We drove the car in a mix of highway and city conditions and though being a sufficiently powerful engine and the highway runs being in excess of speeds of 140 km/h.

BMW 3 GT Mileage

The 3 GT returned an overall efficiency of 12 km/l, which is impressive. A more relaxed driving will surely see it return in excess of 15 km/l.

BMW 3 GT Ride

The ride is smooth and supple. It glides over rough patches and even bigger potholes carefully disguising them from the occupants. It provides the much needed straight line stability at continuous high speeds and the typical precise steering feel of BMWs. Agility of the car is not compromised though being longer and feels similar to the sedan. The car has 3 driving modes – Sport, Comfort and Eco-Pro. The Sport mode provides quicker acceleration coupled with a stiffer suspension setup, while the Comfort mode is for regular relaxed driving. The Eco-Pro mode is one that optimises efficiency, intelligently managing shift patterns as well as the air-conditioning. At higher speeds the engine is cut off when you let go the throttle, thereby saving energy.

BMW 3 GT Price

The Luxury Line variant, that we drove is priced at INR 53.33 lakhs (on road, Mumbai), which is around 9 lakhs lesser that the 5 series. To those buyers looking for a car mainly for intercity travel or even as a small family tourer, with a sporty undertone, the BMW GT makes good sense. Also, with the reasonable running costs due to the brilliant fuel efficiency, coupled with spaciousness and looks that stand out from the crowd, it surely ticks many boxes. So, the next time you want to access the boot to remove your golf kit, why not do it in style?