Car UK May 2019

66 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2019

You won’t get confused, like you might with a new 911, because there’s no

doubting this new 3-series is all-new. It looks, and is, a much bigger car.

Now based on BMW’s CLAR architecture as per 5- and 7-series, it’s 85mm

longer (at 4709mm) and 16mm wider (1827mm). When I climb behind the

driver’s seat, set for my 6ft 1in, my knees don’t rub the seatback like they do

in everything else here bar the Lexus. Even the Peugeot – longer at 4750mm

• has a shorter wheelbase and a little less rear space. The Alfa, Mercedes
  and Audi are all tighter in the back.
  But because there’s now more aluminium in among the steel, the new
  3-series is up to 55kg lighter than before. There are wider tracks, the new
  iDrive system, more efficient engines, generous equipment...
  Our test car is in 320d trim with xDrive all-wheel drive. xDrive also
  brings the eight-speed automatic as standard, and a £3190 premium over
  rear-drive. All tallied, that’s £39,495 in range-topping, top-selling M Sport
  trim, £47,855 optioned up.
  Other than incongruously cheap-looking Sensatec trim (actually far
  from cheap at £500), this is an impressive cabin crafted around driving. The

3-series vs the world

The endless struggle

GROUP ONE

Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce

P RicE £38,260 (£43,240 as tested)

E NGi NE 1995cc 16v turbo 4-cylinder,

276bhp @ 5250rpm, 295lb ft @ 1750rpm

P ERf ORmANc E 5.7sec 0-62mph,

149mph, 46.3mpg, 141g/km CO2

mercedes-Benz c220d AmG Line

P RicE £39,160 (£45,515 as tested)

E NGi NE 1950cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cylinder,

191bhp @ 3800rpm, 295lb ft @ 1600rpm

P ERf ORmANc E 6.9sec 0-62mph, 149mph,

61.4mpg, 117g/km CO2

It’s a war as old as war itself: BMW

versus Mercedes versus Audi. Oh,

and an Alfa that thinks it’s a BMW