BMW 330i Touring review: A bootyful choice
Wagons are still a leftfield choice in Singapore, but the 330i Touring is everything you could want in a modern car
IF YOU’RE going to drop a tonne of money on a car, you might as well make sure you’re getting one that’s all things to all men. That brings me to the BMW 330i Touring, a leftfield choice given how station wagons are a rare sight in Singapore.
At S$374,888 with certificate of entitlement, the BMW is certainly expensive enough to make the eyes water. But then short of being able to haul seven people around or traverse the rainforests of Borneo, it’s everything you could want in a modern car.
Quite literally, it is a BMW 330i with more, which bodes well because the 3 Series is the car that gave BMW its modern mojo. It’s rakishly good-looking and a treat to drive, and always has been. The current version may not be quite as light on its feet as its predecessors, but it’s big, comfy and plush in a way they never were.
As a matter of fact, it’s amply clear that what was once considered the baby BMW is now all grown up. When you’re tooling about in rush hour traffic, the 330i is admirably relaxing to be in, given how you can barely hear the engine and the seats are sumptuously supportive. It’s properly roomy in the back, and the cheap plastics that sneaked into the previous model’s cabin are gone.
On the other hand, the punchy engine and surefooted handling are always on hand to indulge your naughty side. Between the quick-shifting eight-speed auto and the turbocharged wallop under the bonnet, the 330i barrels to 100 kmh in a brisk 6.1 seconds, though the car’s refinement means it masks its speed well, so things tend to feel undramatic behind the wheel.
Still, the main point of buying the Touring is that it packs a little extra in the booty zone. With the rear seats up it will haul a respectable 500 litres of stuff around, and when you fold them (nearly) flat you can cram in another 1,010 litres.
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The boot itself is packed with useful features, like the little compartment to stow the luggage cover. Then there’s the retractable net that keeps cargo safely in the boot in case you jump on the brakes when you have something stacked up high back there. If space is too tight for the tailgate to swing open, you can lift the rear windscreen separately.
Whatever it is, the Touring is obviously aimed at someone whose lifestyle needs are more than a sedan can carry, but who doesn’t want the roly-poly handling or boxy looks of a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).
If anything, the 330i Touring is all about extra sportiness. It comes standard with the M Sport Pro pack, a bundle of racy options that you can see with the naked eye. It includes black body trim, 18-inch wheels and painted brake calipers, all of which are nice enough, but it also adds lower, stiffer suspension, which is a dubious benefit unless you think a slightly bouncy ride somehow makes a car better.
Still, I don’t want to sound grumpy about a version of the 3 Series that is so obviously aimed at people who have a fun-loving attitude to motoring.
Whether it’s a mountain bike or stand-up paddleboard or sizeable pooch you usually take with you when the weekend rolls around, the 330i Touring will do it, and do it with some flair – it says something that the Italians, perhaps the most style-conscious consumers on the planet, buy far more 3 Series wagons than they do sedans.
At the moment, getting a wagon is also the only way to drive a reasonably speedy 3 Series, since the 330i (the next step up from the slower 318i here) only comes in Touring form.
Does it all add up to a car worth a third of a million and then some? The 330i Touring is as practical as an SUV but sharper to drive than one, while arguably offering more style and certainly, some rarity. If nothing else, as a S$68,000 upgrade from a regular 318i sedan, the 330i Touring’s wagon body at least lets you see where some of your extra money goes.
BMW 330i Touring
Engine 1,998 cc, in-line four, turbocharged
Power 245 hp at 4,500 - 6,500 rpm
Torque 400 Nm at 1,600 - 4,000 rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
0-100 kmh 6.1 seconds
Top speed 250 kmh
Fuel efficiency 7.7 L/100 km
Agent Eurokars Auto or Performance Motors
Price S$374,888 with COE
Available Now
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