BMW 330Li

BMW's uber-popular sedan gets a nip-and-tuck to stay relevant

- ABHAY VERMA

The BMW 3 Series has been a favourite with luxury car buyers who like to take the wheel, for long. It’s also a few years now since BMW launched the sedan’s long wheelbase version, dubbed the Gran Limousine previously, which has added to its appeal significantly. Ever since, the 3 Series’ popularity has only multiplied, and the sedan has also added to BMW’s annual sales in a big manner. Heck, it made up for a staggering 20 percent of the BMW’s sales in India last year, making you think if the charm of traditional three-box sedans is really waning away! The 3 Series long wheelbase has made an exception for itself of course, and has had little to no trouble eclipsing rivals like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4.

The current generation 3 Series is effectively a recipe that’s working wonders for BMW India, and in order to keep its cash registers ringing the German luxury car maker has just given the sedan yet another update. Not that it needed one in my opinion, but spending a few days behind its wheel had the car convince me that the refreshed version is even more enticing now. Changes aren’t too many, but BMW India has cleverly updated the car to ensure it feels fresher and better equipped. For instance, there’s barely any changes to the design, as the grille, headlamps and front bumper are all essentially the same. That said, the grille and headlamps both help the 3 Series look more premium, and closer to the bigger and more expensive 5 Series.