BMW 3 Series G20

E21, E30, E36, E46, E90, F30 and finally G20. For 7 generations and 44 years, the 3 Series has been the benchmark for premium touring. Each time, BMW raises the bar to stay in first place. Revealed at the Paris World, the beautiful Munich arrives with a slew of novelties and new technologies on the segment. Is this new generation doing even better than its predecessor? That's what we're going to see.

A few weeks ago, BMW invited us to the Cognac region to discover it with the test of the 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. It's true that said like that, it's not the engines that make you dream the most… But it's the launch engines while waiting for the traditional 6 in line of the Bavarian brand. To start, let's take a tour of the car before hitting the road.

The BMW range is being renewed and that's good. This new generation, since the 8 Series, changes things radically. Over its history, the 3 Series has sold over 15.5 million units worldwide. To continue this momentum, BMW had to stay up to date.

It must be said that the new generation has caused a lot of ink to flow. The double bean at the front takes in thickness. The headlights are tapered. At the rear, they take up the style of the lights already seen on the 8 Series or the X4. More modern, cutting edge with those of the previous generation, they are one of the main targets of critics who accuse them of a false air of Lexus IS. Personally, I think that's a bit overkill.

This new generation, as usual, is gaining in size. It lengthens by 7.6 cm to reach 4.71 m. Larger than the previous one, it has an increased habitability. It is also 1.6 cm wider (1.83 m) which, we will see later, contributes even more to its dynamism. Its trunk remains at 480 liters, in the low average of the category.

It is true that seeing it for the first time at the Paris Motor Show, I was a little disturbed by the rear. But, by rubbing shoulders with her, I loved this modern style.

Let's go inside. If you've read my reviews of the 8 Series or the new BMW X5, you shouldn't be lost. We take the same and start again. We thus find this new 100% digital instrumentation (BMW Live Cockpit Navigation Pro at €1,650 or standard from the Business Design finish).

It is made up of a 12.3-inch screen with the main driving information. The GPS reminder is in the middle, in simplified mode. No frills or satellite view to distract you. There is also a 10.3-inch touchscreen in the center with the new 7.0 operating system which, as we will see later, has an innovative feature, first available on this car.

Leitmotif at BMW, the 3 Series has optimal ergonomics. Everything is done so that you never take your eyes off the road. Whether it's the 11.3-inch head-up display (€1,150), the most complete I've seen on a car, the iDrive to control the central screen without taking your eyes off the road or even the control gestural (€300), certainly a little gimmicky, but terribly clever by dint of using it.

The finish is upmarket compared to the previous generation. The brand has made a real effort on this chapter and it shows inside. The adjustments and the materials used are of better quality. The seats in our MSport versions had no comfort issues. A driving position always at the top: you can sit very low to become one with the car. Transition all found towards what has been the strength of the 3 Series since the first generation, the dynamism of the car.

The G20 is on average 55kg lighter than the previous generation. What gain in dynamism is not it? But that's not all: on paper, this car has an ideal 50-50 weight distribution, as well as a 10mm lower center of gravity and a stiffer chassis. It should therefore keep its place of reference in terms of driving pleasure, right? Well, yeah !

Over the kilometers at the wheel, the car is terribly agile. The car is placed on rails and nothing can pull it out. It's really impressive. So much so that during the test, in duet with JB du Billet Auto, as a passenger, I feel my sidekick arriving on a bend rather quickly, too quickly in my opinion. But as a driver, he feels the car so much that he corners perfectly, becoming one with the car with disconcerting ease.

So, of course, the car can be driven at lower speeds and that's normal, but its ability to roll corners at high speeds is so good that we can only wait for the M340i version, which will arrive at the end of the year.

The new 3 Series also has a better soundproofed windscreen. I advise you to take the option of the front side windows as well: 250 € more but high quality acoustic comfort. At 130 km/h, you will experience a noise equivalent to that of a classic car launched at 90 km/h.

We therefore tried the two largest 4-cylinder engines available on the market: the diesel 320d with its 190hp in xDrive and the petrol 330i with 258hp in propulsion.

Let's start with the most economical, the diesel which has a generous torque of 400 Nm and above all, thanks to the increased soundproofing on this new generation, a totally imperceptible operating noise. The 0 to 100 km / h is dispatched in 6.9 s with the consumption of a person on a diet. On the motorway, stabilized at 130 km/h, only 4 liters are consumed per 100 km… On the autobahn, this increases to 5 liters at 150 km/h.

Let's move on to the most surprising, the petrol version. 30i, at one time it was the meaning of a 6 cylinder in line. Today, in the nomenclature game, it's just a 4-cylinder… At first sight, it's disappointing and that's what I thought when I got to the test drive. But when you start the car, you are immediately charmed by a very flattering sound.

Indeed, the exhaust of this version backfires even slightly in the sports version. A surprisingly singing engine and very little greedy. During our test, we consumed a combined 7.2 litres/100 km.

The 30d is currently arriving at the dealership, the road version par excellence of this 3 Series, which will be tested very quickly. In a few weeks, the baby M3 will arrive, the M340i. The 3.0-litre inline-6 ​​with the strong twin-scroll turbo of 374 hp and 500 Nm will keep us waiting until the queen of the versatile sedans, the M3.

Let's talk a bit about technology. The 3 Series has a function to make your life easier: automatic reverse, like on the BMW X5. No need to worry about your rims anymore: the car records your last 50 meters below 39 km/h and redoes them automatically, on request, up to 9 km/h in reverse. Bluffing.

A new function has appeared, the digital key. In other words: the ability to (un)lock your car with your phone, currently only available on a Samsung running Android. A function that can only be activated at the dealership for more security. It works well: for the test the brand only provided us with telephones, not the car keys as usual.

So what about the new 3 Series? I'm going to cut the suspense short, it's the return of the reference. Faced with dynamically increasingly sharp competitors such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia, more technological or more comfortable, such as the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-Class, the new 3 Series is progressing on all counts.

The chassis, sharper than ever, the improved comfort (in particular soundproofing, thanks to the work on the glazing) or, finally, the technological side with the personal assistant, the automatic reverse gear or the unlocking with a mobile phone should convince you.

Faced with these competitors, the 3 Series is better armed than ever. And if you are looking for a 4-door sedan that is both good on the road, dynamic and with a wide range of engines, the 3 Generation G20 Series is made for you.