BMW 3 Series 320d M Sport 2019 UK first drive

The car’s ride quality is reasonable at best, too, and that was a surprise. Indeed, it is my strong sense that the F30 would offer far smoother passage from one place to the next than the rather firm G20 that has replaced it. I didn’t mind that so much, just so long as there was a quid pro quo to go with it. But those who are softer of bottom might want to consider an SE model rather than the lower, stiffer M Sport I drove.

And don’t be drawn into thinking that paying extra for adaptive damping will somehow provide a magic carpet that also handles: I’ve tried it on another 3 Series and, even in baseline Comfort mode, that underlying firmness remains. If my primary use of such a car was commuting or long-distance driving, I’d think hard about that.

I’d think, too, about its size, which – surprise, surprise – has gone up again. Almost unbelievably, this 3 Series is wider and taller than was the original 7 Series 40 years ago, and it’s as long as a 5 Series from 30 years back. Small it ain’t. Just don’t expect a limo-like interior: crash structures, thick seats and accommodating all that tech take up a lot of space, and while I’d call it roomy for the class (I’ve done 40 minutes in a current 3 Series with five adults on board who seemed happy enough), you won’t be sprawling around in here. It’s premium economy, at best.

And yet there is something about this car that excites before you’ve reached the end of the street. Some clue to what it might be can be found if you rummage around in the technical details. There, you’ll find that although this car is larger than the last, so, too, is it lighter thanks to increased use of aluminium in its structure and body. Your backside will tell you that it’s more firmly sprung, but the details are interesting: a lower centre of gravity, a wider track, a structure stiffer by 25%, more camber on the front wheels and dampers with special anti-dive and anti-squat technology even if you don’t go adaptive.

There’s something about the 2.0-litre diesel, too, because although its headline power and torque figures remain unchanged, it hauls like the last one never did, and in a way that requires more than a 55kg weight drop to explain. In fact, BMW is reverting to the sequential turbo trick it first used on the 535d back in its E60 days, well over a decade ago. It combines a small high-pressure turbo with a large low-pressure unit to ensure near lag-free response at low revs and a penchant for headbutting the limiter that you rarely find in an oil-burner. With the optional eight-speed automatic fitted to the test car, that means 0-62mph in 6.8sec, which is about the same pace as an original M3.