BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport Review

The 2017 BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport is a much more practical version of the BMW3 Series and rivals the Audi A5 Sportback. It offers a comfortable ride, plenty of space, and an efficient engine. This new model debuted on November 14, 2016, in Singapore. Luxury car and performance enthusiasts were excited about the fact that BMW has produced a new model that is both sophisticated and sporty, as well as being a bit longer than the other models in their BMW3 series. And, the German carmaker succeeded in delivering spaciousness and a profile that is quite sporty with its ambitious lines and LED lights both front and rear.

Luxurious and Sophisticated

BMW’s main goal with the BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport was to bring to the automobile performance world an amazing experience that is that of a luxury sedan with more legroom, raised seat positions for better visibility, a large tailgate, four doors, and three full-size seats in back, as well as a trunk that has been upgraded to a 1,600L load-space. And, the car's luxury interior offers leather inserts, chrome controls, and wooden elements for a truly sophisticated and luxurious setting.

Maximum Performance

So, that outlines some of the more luxurious aspects of the new BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport, but what about its performance? Well, it has a brand new engine that is expected to deliver decreased fuel consumption paired with an increase in output. It’s truly an excellent option when modern carmakers discover new methods for delivering max performance but also managing to maintain a minimalistic carbon footprint. With its ECO PRO mode, greatly improved automatic transmission, brake energy regeneration, and auto Start/Stop function, the BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport manages to do all of that and more but also to still push the performance envelope without ever skimping even a little bit on comfort. All-in-all, the BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport offers the optimum blend of superior performance and down-to-earth practicality.

Yes, Size Does Matter

The BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport is, in fact , 16 mm wider, 200 mm longer, and 81 mm higher than a standard BMW 3-Series. What that means is that rear seat passengers will have more legroom and more headroom. In addition, the trunk can also handle 25 liters more luggage in comparison to the BMW 3-Series station wagon iteration. You can counter the relative bulk of this vehicle if you opt for using either the Sport or the Sport+ mode with the Driving Experience Control button located adjacent to the gear lever. This will result in a sharpening of the throttle and steering response, giving you a driving experience that is a great deal sportier. Your average gas consumption may take a hit when driving in those modes, however. When you are driving in Eco Pro mode, you’ll be dropping your average consumption to approximately 8.5 liters per 100 km, but wouldn't that be taking all of the fun out of driving a BMW?

BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport Standard Equipment

The standard equipment list for the BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport includes automatic climate control, Servotronic, M Sport trim, keyless engine ignition, hands-free phone calling, and a high-res color screen that includes an iDrive Controller. It also comes with ConnectedDrive services and BMW Business Navigation.

With the ever-popular 3-Series GT version, BMW is attempting to deliver to buyers a lot more of both luggage and interior space. Now, the rear end, which may appear somewhat bulbous to some, may not be everybody’s cup of tea aesthetically. But, the front end of the BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport is exceedingly handsome and should please even the most finicky of car buyers. In addition, the M Sport is now featuring aerodynamic body styling, ‘shadowline’ exterior detailing, special wheels, and suspension that is lower and firmer, all part of its go-fast goodies package.

And, BMW has done a much finer job with fine-tuning the proportions than was the case with the 5 Series GT. On the other hand, however, the overall good looks of the BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport tend to be dependent on paint color choice to a certain extent. The fact is that the lighter colors are effective at distracting from the vehicles overall bulk, whereas darker color choices appear to be somewhat awkward in appearance.

In addition, the 18-inch alloy wheels come standard, which also helps with distracting from the hefty profile of this car. And, advances in the aerodynamics on this model aid the car’s body for slipping smoothly through the air. When you add to that the air curtain vent that has been mounted just in back of the front wheels, which offers much better overall airflow, and the active rear spoiler that will pop up when the car reaches a speed of 70 mph, and you have some serious driving appeal. And, could all of this be the primary reason that BMW sells more 3-Series vehicles than Mercedes-Benz does C-class cars and Audi does A4s? Probably.

BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport Options

The 320i offers plenty of practicality in a stylish package, but in the end, doesn’t it all come down to the options? Yes, it does and those options include, in addition to the super-smooth Steptronic gearbox with 8-speeds, Bluetooth hands-free calling, a turn-by-turn voice-guided satellite nav system, and a reversing camera. Another impressive option is the HUD [head-up-display], which provides projected information like the speed limit on the actual road that you are driving on, your current speed, and a warning that you are critically low on gas for example, and all displayed right in your field of vision on the windscreen. This is truly where high-tech meets high-performance.

BMW 320i Gran Turismo M Sport Specs

• MSRP: $229,800
• Capacity: 1,998 cc
• Max output: 184 hp @ 5,000 rpm
• Max torque: 270 Nm from 1,350–4,600 rpm
• Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 8.1 seconds
• Top speed: 229 km/h
• Average fuel consumption- EU standard: 6.1-5.8 litres/100km
• Combined CO2 emissions- EU standard: 139-132 g/km