For the Autoblog Instapservice this week: the BMW 320e in the driving test.
A few years ago, life as a lease driver was quite simple. There were a few models with 0% addition, so you chose that if a normal car was too expensive for you. Later life became a bit more complicated, electric cars had even more advantages, the subsidy on PHEVs dried up a bit faster. At the moment (2023), the addition on fully electric cars is slightly more favorable than on regular cars, but it doesn’t really add up. That is why we are looking for the new business toppers: the loafers, but preferably with a sports package.
In that respect, the BMW 320e from the driving test ticks off all the items: the starting price is manageable, the performance is quite ok and with this color and the M package it looks thick. Still, we have to find out whether we can also recommend it, this entry-level BMW 3 series.
What is it
We can not only drive this 320e for the entry-level service, but we also immediately receive the news of the facelift or Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) of the 3-series (G20/G21). On the outside, the changes are so subtle that only the connoisseur will probably notice. For example, the exhaust tips now have a diameter of 90 or 100 millimeters, depending on the engine variant. The headlights are slightly narrower and the kidneys slightly wider, but this is also millimeter work.
The bigger changes can be found inside and that is about the new screens. Like other modern BMWs, the 3 Series gets the beautiful BMW Curved Display. Behind the steering wheel is a 12.3-inch information display and in the center of the dashboard is a 14.9-inch Touch Control Display. Together they sit behind a black curved glass plate, which looks elegant.
The software also received a major makeover, but we are not 100% convinced yet. The new BMW Operating System 8 has some intelligent settings, which, however, do not always fully match what you want as a driver. A simple setting such as the seat heating sometimes goes wrong, because the software has figured out that it is already warm enough. Fortunately, you can overrule it, but it is cumbersome.
BMW 320e and the traffic light sprint
One of the most important properties of a coveted lease car are its sprint qualities. Nothing is worse that while carpooling in Holland on your way to a meeting, you are driven out by a junior colleague in a faster car. It is also the explanation of Tesla’s success, it doesn’t look great, but it is fast (just kidding).
We can at least say that the 320e is above the 318i (and 318d) that is also available in the hierarchy. Plus, modern BMWs are no slouch, so we had hopes for the 320e.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder in-line petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology with an output of 163 hp and 300 Nm. The electric motor delivers 109 hp and 265 Nm, but unfortunately we can’t just add the horsepower and newton meters together. In fact, quite a few horsepower disappear to a meadow for resting tubers. The system power is “only” 204 hp and the maximum torque is 350 Nm.
The powertrain also feels the same way: the first start is quite potent, but it is not possible to push through at full throttle. It doesn’t feel as squeezed as some downsized petrol engines, but the torque curve and throttle response isn’t exactly linear.
The good news is that ultimately the BMW 320e is secretly quite potent, but there is also a gnawing feeling that there is much more to the powertrain. The dry figures confirm the picture: a sprint to 100 in 7.6s is just neat, especially for an entry-level model. The top speed is 225 km/h, which is also more than enough.
If the lease budget (and the salary to absorb the addition) allows it, you can make the step to the 292 hp 330e for only 4 grand extra. It has almost the same powertrain, but the horses are allowed to trot unrestricted. Not only does the 330e feel more eager, it sprints to the 100 in just 5.9s.
The electrical part
You probably already had the charging station installed anyway, so it is not completely irrelevant to also consider the possibility of driving electrically. On electricity, the top speed is 140 km/h, but that is mainly a way to empty the battery very quickly.
The battery pack has a capacity of 12 kWh and is mounted under the rear seat, so the fuel tank had to give way. The tank is now placed above the rear axle and thus eats away some space from the trunk, there are now 375 liters left. If you need more space, both the 320e and the 330e are also available as a spacious Touring. And the 330e is also available as an xDrive.
The electric motor is also integrated into the 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, which is therefore only 15 mm longer than the regular variant. Fully charged, the BMW 320e could drive 60 kilometers electrically, but in practice it is more like 40 km. Yet for rides in and around the city it is not a bad idea to drive on electricity, with the only drawback that you will have to plug in frequently.
Price tag BMW 320e
Strictly speaking, we should have dropped the choice on the 50,108 euro and 136 hp BMW 318i for the Techzle Entry Service. However, the step to the much more interesting 320e is so small that we still opted for this 51,194 BMW 3-series PHEV. A small 70 hp for just over 1000 euros is simply a good deal. You can also wonder whether you should not take another step of a good 4 mille to get into the 292 hp and 55,429 euro 330e. The dealers of illegal snacks and those of cars have one thing in common, they sometimes drag you down a path that is difficult to get out of.
To make it even more complicated: the BMW 320e from the driving test looks nice and thick. But of course it doesn’t look like that for the starting price. The most important upgrade is the M package, which costs no less than 3,995 euros, which includes not only 18-inch rims, but also the M bumpers (M Aerodynamics package) and sports seats, among other things. They are damned marketing techniques: the M package looks much better on just about every BMW.
Incidentally, there is also an M-sport package Pro of 7 mille with more high-gloss Shadow Line exterior parts, seat belts with M striping and cool red brake calipers for the M-sport braking system.
The test car was also comfortable in the options, including 19” rims, metallic paint (Dravitgrau metallic), leather upholstery and various packs. This brings the total fiscal value to 67,826.04.
Autoblog Entry Service BMW 320e conclusion
BMW makes driving great, but those options kill you. This brings the best well-priced entry-level 3-series to a price level that, strictly speaking, is no longer funny. Incidentally, it is really a nice car, but you will have to hold back with the options in the configurator. Or we have to wait until the upcoming global recession causes car manufacturers to have overproduction again. Then the action models will come naturally. So let that crisis come!
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