BMW 3 Series Refined Engine and Sharp Handling

Two years back I was looking for a competitive vehicle against the likes of Mercedes Benz C Class and Audi A4 because I don't like both these brands. There were only two options in front of me; BMW 3-series and Jaguar XE. I took the test drive of Jaguar but wasn't impressed with the drivability and refinement. So, the only option left was BMW 3-series. With bated breath I went to the showroom and took the test drive of the then newly launched 3 series sedan. I took my two friends with me who are hardcore auto enthusiasts as well. So it was easy to decide on this vehicle as the performance was absolutely stunning which I was expecting at this price point. Since I am more inclined towards performance rather than luxury, the majority of this review will focus on performance. Starting with the styling, the main highlight of the updated version are the headlamps and tail lamps which are now full-led units. The bumper is sportier than before while I particularly liked the design of the new alloy wheels. Inside, the material quality gives you richer experience with sporty steering wheel and sport front seats along with adequate faux carbon-fibre detailing making you feel like you are sitting in a hardcore performance-packed sedan. The top variant M Sport which I chose comes with tons of gadgetry including head-up display, high resolution 8.7inch screen with i-drive infotainment supporting Android Auto Play. And to my surprise, there is no parking camera in this Rs. 50 lakh car. Coming to the performance, the sporty front seats offers generous support meant for spirited drives. The sedan comes powered with the 2.0L petrol motor which produces 252PS and 350Nm of max torque with transmission duties handled by 8-speed automatic gearbox. The car dashes from 0-100kmph in 7 seconds of time which is pretty decent at this price point. Kick off the engine and one will experience a strong pull from the low rev band. Then there is genuine punch when you are in the mid-range while the top-end rev band can also be exploited fully upto 4500 rpm. To me it appears to be one of the most exciting 4-cylinder engines out there in the market. The updated engine is utterly refined with complement coming from the gearbox which further smoothen the response by offering rapid and timely shifts. However, there is a mild lag whenever I try to downshift suddenly. There have been tweaks to suspension as well with better control on body movements along with weighted steering wheel that is sharp. The suspension is able to gobble up the bumps and other road undulations perfectly with the tyres making up for sharp edge filters. The driving experience so far is absolutely brisk. The car lives up to its strength of excellent ride quality, comfort and performance. But if you are planning to buy this one, make sure you compare it to Mercedes Benz C Class as it's available in diesel engine and priced equally to this brimmer.