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By
EWAN KENNEDY
21 April 2008
A neighbour who owns a BMW coupe was surprised to see us
testing the recently-released BMW 335i Touring this week.
Surprised because he knows all about this very special 335i
engine, the powerplant that took out the 2007 Engine of the Year
Award (often known as the ‘Engine Oscars’). It didn’t seem
right to him that this high-performance powerplant should be
fitted to a mere station wagon.
Obviously he had never driven in Germany, otherwise he would
have seen the sales reps in dynamic action in their station wagons
on the autobahns. Not only BMW wagons, but also Audis, Volkswagens
and others.
More than one Aussie driver making their first foray onto the
high-speed inter-city autobahns has been embarrassed by being
blasted by headlights in their mirrors just when they thought
their car was already travelling at a very respectable speed. Only
to discover once they have moved over that the machine behind them
had the square behind of a station wagon.
BMW engineers have excelled themselves in designing the 335i
engine. The sensational 3.0-litre straight-six, bi-turbo
powerplant produces a stunning 225 kW. Torque kicks in virtually
instantly as the twin small turbos spool up faster than would a
single, heavier one.
A hefty 400 Newton metres is offered through a wide rev range.
Such are the characteristics of this engine that we were seldom
running it at anything other than its torque peak. This engine is
a real delight to sit behind, being silky smooth at all times and
more than willing to rev happily throughout its range.
Power is taken to the rear wheels through a six-speed
Steptronic automatic transmission. Unlike some other body types
which can be ordered with a six-speed manual gearbox, the Touring
comes to Australia as an auto-only proposition. The automatic has
plenty of genuine overrides that give you a fair degree of manual
control, but we can’t help but feel that if we could afford one
of these sporting machines for ourselves, a manual would be nice.
Fuel consumption indicates the efficiency of any engine, the
BMW 335i Touring will typically only use eight to nine litres per
hundred kilometres in easy cruising conditions. Push it along hard
and it’s still not likely to go much over 12 to 13 litres per
hundred. Whereas routine commuting is likely to see it running in
the 10 to 12 litre range. These are excellent fuel numbers for a
powerplant that delivers a peak of almost 300 horsepower and is
aimed at those who drive with a fair degree of enthusiasm.
The 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine is the good news from the point
of view of Australian wagon lovers. The bad news is that this
Bimmer isn’t a station wagon as we know it. Its sleek rear end
is hampered in the cargo-carrying field, not only by the slope of
the window, but also by the stunted overall length. Thus
significantly reducing luggage space, and restricting its ability
to carry bulky items.
Regard the Touring as a sedan with a bigger boot and it makes
sense, but to Aussies brought up on wagons with the interior
volume of a small van will find it a bit on the squeezy side back
there.
This sporting BMW has 50/50 weight balance thanks to the use of
rear-wheel drive. This balance is the number-one reason why keen
drivers love their BMWs. Point it at a bend and it simply drives
around with a minimum of fuss. If you realise the bend tightens
suddenly, all you need to do is turn the well-weighted steering
wheel just a tad more and the car responds positively almost
instantly. Balance is pure delight to those who love to drive.
However, part of the balance is achieved by setting the
straight-six engine well back, thus robbing some foot width from
the front passengers as the gearbox in what would otherwise be the
cabin area. Other than that restriction in foot space, the front
seats are comfortable with good support and plenty of adjustments.
The back seat is pretty good for a rear-driver of this size,
but it’s still necessary for the front occupants to give up some
of their legroom if four tall people are in the wagon. The
extended roof line gives the BMW Touring better headroom than the
sedan provides.
The interior has a light, airy feel with a two-tone finish in
the modern German manner. Materials are of high quality and the
standard of finish points to the reason many are prepared to pay
top dollar for a BMW.
This Touring wagon is something special to those who love their
cars. Its engineering really is something special. Team up that
fabulous engine with traditional BMW handling, brakes and overall
dynamics and it’s sure to appeal to those wanting the
convenience of extra loading space.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
BMW 320i Touring 2.0-litre five-door wagon - $54,220
BMW 325i Executive Touring 2.0-litre five-door wagon - $59,100
BMW 323i Touring 2.5-litre five-door wagon - $68,900
BMW 335i Touring 3.0-litre five-door wagon - $108,500
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability Control: Standard in all models
Traction Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (BMW 335i Touring 3.0-litre five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.979 litres
Configuration: Six cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.2:1
Bore/Stroke: 84.0 x 89.6 mm
Maximum Power: 225 kW @ 5800 rpm
Maximum Torque: 400 Nm @ 1300 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.46:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4520 mm
Wheelbase: 2760 mm
Width: 1817 mm
Height: 1418 mm
Turning Circle: 11.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1630 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 63 litres
Towing Ability: Not provided
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Double pivot spring strut front axle
Rear Suspension: HA5 dispersed double control arm
Front Brakes: Ventilated Disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 5.9 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 91RON
Combined Cycle (EU): 9.8 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: Not rated
Air Pollution Rating: Not rated
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
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Marque Publishing Company
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