While the 3 Series may be the nucleus of the BMW range, so too is the four-door saloon the central core of the 3 Series, from which all the other models extend like spokes on a wheel.
In design terms, the F30 3 Series is a better looking and more distinctive shape than its ultra-conservative E90 predecessor. It’s a large car, longer overall than a 5 Series of 30 years ago and with a longer the 161bhp 320d Efficient Dynamics; the former now cracking 0-62mph in 7.2sec when paired with the eight-speed auto 'box.
The automatic-only 330d churns out 255bhp and a hefty 413lb ft of torque, while the flagship 308bhp 335d sprints from 0-62mph in 4.8sec and offers combined fuel economy of 51.4mpg.
There’s also a plug-in hybrid version – the 330e iPerformance, which combines a electric motor to a 2.0-litre petrol engine which produces 249bhp and 310lb ft of peak twist combined with CO2 emissions of just 44g/km.
