Following in the footsteps of its big brother, the 5 Series GT, the 3 Series GT has added a third body style option to a car range that until now has only comprised a saloon and an estate, or touring model.
If you get a tape measure out you’ll find that the new GT is 200mm longer even than the 3 Series Touring, despite looking more like a sort of inflated hatchback. It’s only 75mm shorter than a 5 Series. Most of that length is hidden in the wheelbase with a 110mm increase, but there’s no hiding the extra 90mm that has slotted into the rear overhang. It, along with an 81mm overall height increase, gives the GT a visual balance weighted heavily towards the rear — a matter of taste but usually a trait of prestige cars.
If you’re wondering why it’s so big your questions are answered as soon as you slide into one of the rear seats. There’s loads of legroom there; 75mm more than the touring offers and again, more like what you find in a 5 Series. You can’t tuck your toes under the back of the front seats owing to the electric gubbins within them that occupy that space instead, but there’s still more than enough space for anyone not recorded in the ‘tallest’ section of the Guinness Book of Records.
Extra space behind the B-pillar is really what the GT is all about. Along with the extra passenger space it brings 25 additional litres to the boot next to the touring, which rises to 100 litres more when the two cars are compared with their rear 40:20:40 split seats folded down. Once more, it’s closer to what you’d find in a 5 Series.
So the obvious question is why you wouldn’t just buy a 5 Series? More expensive than equivalent specification 3 Series Touring models, the GT is reasonably pricey and it’s possible to buy a 5 Series for roughly the same outlay, but the Gran Turismo models seat you higher and capture the faintest hint of the essence of the SUV, which some people will smell a mile off and make a beeline for.
There is nothing radical about the engine line-up, which is familiar to anyone reasonably well acquainted with the BMW brand. There are three petrols in the shape of a 181bhp 320i, a 241bhp 328i and the only six-cylinder engine available, the 302bhp 335i. You can get them in Modern, Sport, Luxury or M Sport trims, Modern being the sharp and stylish choice, Luxury being plusher, Sport as the slightly more aggressive-looking choice and M Sport being the harder, harsher one that buyers love for its looks but not for its ride quality. Among other things it gets more supportive seats but they’re also firmer, bordering on uncomfortable especially in the back where such hard seats serve little real purpose. It’s better to stick to Modern or Luxury where the equipment better suits the GT’s remit.
Still thinking of the car’s natural GT character the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox is a winner for long-leggedness and relaxed cruising. Its shifts are very fast by default but at the same time they are smooth and forgiving, meaning that whatever engine is under the bonnet, the car pushes forward with a certain relentless quality that’s only amplified by the more powerful engines. The 335i does a convincing job against the backdrop of a thoroughly enjoyable engine growl. Turbocharging softens the note a little relative to that of the old normally aspirated 302bhp straight-six found in the pre-2007 3 Series, but it still throbs nicely when called upon.
The ride should be good in a car like this and fortunately it’s mostly good news. The faster you go, the better the basic ride quality becomes, because while at slower speeds sharp bumps send a slightly harsh impact through the cabin, at speed things are much more composed. There’s an initial bit of body roll in any of the user-selectable driving modes before the GT settles into a stable cornering attitude. To be honest the driving modes change the experience very little, although Eco Pro mode noticeably scales back the air conditioning and throttle response and gives a readout of how many additional miles its fuel-saving mantras are giving you. Neat.
So why would you buy it? If a regular 3 Series doesn’t quite cut it, a 5 Series is too ordinary and an X3 lacks the right image, the 3 Series GT offers a blend of all three to provide a top-drawer solution as a mid-size executive shuttle. Rear passengers will thank you for it, too.
