How Does the New BMW 3 Series Fare Against its German Rivals?

The 6th generation BMW 3 Series that has been making headlines for months has been finally launched in India with a starting price of Rs 28.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The all-new 3 Series has come out in two engine options with a total 5 variants, out of which four are diesel and one is petrol.

Published On Jul 27, 2012 18:12 IST

Published OnJul 27, 2012 16:58 IST

Last Updated OnJul 27, 2012 18:12 IST

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The 6th generation BMW 3 Series that has been making headlines for months has been finally launched in India with a starting price of Rs 28.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The all-new 3 Series has come out in two engine options with a total 5 variants, out of which four are diesel and one is petrol.

Where the diesel version is the same as outgoing model— 184bhp 2.0-litre turbo mill— on the other hand 2.0-litre petrol engine gets the upgraded turbo charger, which now has been positioned as the top end variant of the existing line up. Moreover, the vehicles now come mated to a eight-speed automatic transmission as a standard fitment.

The new BMW 3 Series 2012 is now bigger in overall dimensions as it is 93mm longer with increase in wheelbase by 50mm wheelbase. This gives more space to the rear seat passenger. It now has an additional 14mm for knee room and 8 mm of extra headroom, moreover volume of the luggage compartment has been increased by 20 litres. So, it is now bigger, better and more comfortable. With both the engine options it has now emerged as a serious competitor against the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which are doing pretty well in the market, so we at CarDekho tried to find out the competency of 2012 BMW 3 Series against its closest rivals.

New BMW 3 Series vs Audi A4

Audi had recently given the A4 a midlife facelift, to refresh its styling. Keeping in mind the growing demand for diesel cars in the market, 2012 BMW 3 Series has played the cards at the right time as out of total 5 variants, 4 are diesel. BMW now gets a competitive edge over other rivals due to some very important factors that include smaller carbon footprint, BSI packages that cover any problem or services for a period of upto 5 years and last but not the least BMW's reliability. Where the Audi A4 had an added advantage of spaciousness and comfort in the past, now with the improved dimensions and features, BMW 3 Series has been successful in coming at the same level. Having featured the new ECO PRO mode as standard on the 3 Series, it enables efficient driving and reduced fuel consumption. When it comes to the engine performance, the entry level 2.0-litre TDI multitronic engine of the Audi gives lesser output and fuel economy, yes the top end diesel variant carrying the more powerful 3.0-litre TDI Quattro engine produces an impressive 241bhp.

New BMW 3 Series vs Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C-Class having the 2.2-litre diesel engine might also face the heat against the BMW 3-Series 2012, which has now come up with four more diesel variants. Where the top end diesel variants of the C-Class deliver the best in class power output figures of 204@4200rpm, BMW 3-series scores more on fuel efficiency. The drive also gets an option to choose between the different driving modes; ECO PRO, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ on the go that has certainly made the new 3 Series better than ever in drivability comfort. *Sports+ available only in the new BMW 328i Sport Line.