Autocar October 03, 2018

IN TERMS OF new model debuts, this week’s Paris motor show is probably the quietest since the global financial crisis kicked off a decade ago. The death of the motor show, you might think, yet the reality is anything but. Instead, the lack of new metal in Paris is down to the havoc car makers have faced in trying to meet the deadline for new WLTP real-world fuel economy tests for their existing ranges, let alone the launch of any additional models. The WLTP tests have forced many popular cars off sale, sometimes for short periods, others permanently, as car makers have struggled to get vast product ranges through the limited testing facilities available. Talk of WLTP, and even more pressing issues of Brexit and trade wars between the US…

The base-spec version of the new BMW 3 Series must be the best in class to drive if the model is to be hailed a success, declared product manager Stephan Horn ahead of its world debut at the Paris show this week. Dynamic leadership was determined as the key goal for the new car – codenamed G20 and the successor to the F30 model generation – following appraisals taken from customers, media reviews and critical assessment of rivals, which began five years ago. “Our reputation is built on making the best car to drive, and while the current car is good, we knew we could do more and knew our rivals were pushing us hard,” said Horn. Although Horn was reluctant to talk about competitors, two new rival car launches are…

As car firms race to meet demands for SUVs and electrification, it’s easy to forget the importance of a good old-fashioned saloon. The new 3 Series is a reminder that you shouldn’t. Since it was launched in 1975, the 3 Series has been BMW’s bedrock, its perennial bestseller that both underpins and supports its expansion into other areas. Naturally, then, with this latest generation, BMW hasn’t sought to dramatically reinvent the 3 Series: why should it, when the old one still sells in big numbers? Even if the 3 Series isn’t a radical design departure, one thing is clear about BMW’s recent cars: whether it’s the 3 Series, 8 Series or Z4, BMW has shown a clear commitment to producing proper driver’s cars, dynamic motors with all-round ability. Why? Because…

A chance to drive a prototype of the new BMW 3 Series in 330i M Sport guise a few months ago revealed much promise, if no certain conclusions. The suspicion is that, in this configuration, an Alfa Romeo Giulia probably remains a more compact and lighter-feeling, marginally more incisive and naturally agile saloon. But then, modern BMWs are relatively complicated, more specification-sensitive cars than most of their executive rivals and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that, in just the right mechanical trim, this car could dive and swivel left and right just as keenly as its Italian challenger. Only certain drive modes were available to try on the test drive and this passively suspended 330i M Sport on 19in rims could have been forgiven for struggling a…

Do you always start to develop a new car five years before it is launched? “For the most important cars, yes. It means that owners have had about two years in the previous model, so the feedback can be quite specific. We can combine that with the impressions from media tests and, of course, with our own and get a pretty clear picture of what we need to achieve. “Of course, that changes with time – but as the clock ticks, there are fewer and fewer things you can adapt. The new dampers needed more space, which made demands on the designers, for instance. Every decision you make has many knockon effects that you have to consider and then stick to.” Why is there a wait before the plug-in hybrid…

Mercedes-Benz has claimed the new B-Class offers more dynamic handling and comfort than its predecessor, thanks to technology and features taken from the S-Class and A-Class. The third generation of the MPV, developed under the internal codename W247, is the fourth of up to eight new compact models to be launched by the company, following the fourth-generation A-Class hatch and saloon. The new B-Class retains the one-box silhouette of its predecessors but with a smoother form that reflects the firm’s latest design language. It also features the ‘predator face’ seen on the A-Class. The five-seat rival to BMW’s 2 Series Active Tourer is marginally longer (4359mm), wider (1786mm) and taller (1557mm) than its predecessor, with a wheelbase of 2929mm and a reduced drag coefficient of 0.24. The new B-Class has…