BMW puts the boot in - 320D GT review

Although the larger 5-Series sibling wins more plaudits, it’s the smaller 3-Series that racks up the really impressive sales figures.

But the 3-Series has always had an Achilles’ heel. While each generation has been noted for fine driving manners, excellent ergonomics and impressive build quality, the 3-Series has always come unstuck on cabin space and practicality.

The new 3-Series GT is BMW’s late-in-the-day attempt to rectify those concerns.

Although it looks like a sportier version of the standard saloon - one could almost call it a coupe, except BMW already has that niche boxed off - the GT actually has more space, and a bigger boot, than the 3-Series Touring.

On paper it looks like the best of all worlds - but has the increase in size (and weight) compromised the BMW’s famous road manners?

ON THE ROAD: ​ Although the GT is available with a lusty six-cylinder petrol engine, it’s the fleet-favourite 320D that will account for the lion’s share of sales.

If your company car boss hands you the keys to a 320D that’s no reason to feel hard done by. It may lack the outright pace of a 335i but BMW’s turbocharged 2.0-litre TDI is still one of the best diesels on the market at any price.

Capable of sprinting to 62mph in 8.0 seconds dead, and returning more than 50 mpg if you’re careful, the 320D is the best real world compromise in the GT line up - fast enough to be fun without the 335i’s frightening appetite for super unleaded.

The 320i petrol is smoother but no faster - and considerably more expensive to run - and the 328/335i models are in a difference performance league.

On the road, a 320D GT always feels sprightly - a combination of the engine’s 280 lb/ft of torque and the exceptionally sharp eight-speed automatic transmission which always seems to know the precise ratio you need a split second before it is required. The only let down is the droning exhaust note; perhaps a bit of computer trickery should be applied to make the noise in the cabin more appealing?

When you want to get a move on, the sport setting sharpens up the handling, remaps the transmission and tweaks the engine management for maximum performance. Sports programmes sometimes feel like a bit of a gimmick (I can think of one or two which make a car worse to drive, not better) but you can feel the change in BMW’s set-up from the seat of your pants (sometimes quite literally when the stiffened suspension allows more road bumps and thumps into the cabin). Most of the time I left the dial in the normal setting but the sport option is nice to have for those sunny mornings when the mood takes you.

ON THE INSIDE: ​ Without parking a GT next to an ordinary 3-Series you wouldn’t notice the subtle increase in size but when you do (and, as the 3-Series is one of the best-selling cars in the UK, it’s bound to happen sooner rather than later) the difference is startling.

A GT is 3.2-inches taller and a whopping 7.9-inches longer than its staid counterpart. That’s because the wheelbase has been streched by 4.3-inches to answer those criticisms of poor rear legroom and pokey boot space.

The interior is otherwise standard BMW: clear, concise instrumentation, a starter button, chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel, a big infotainment controller on the transmission tunnel and a colour screen sitting up high next to the speedo/rev counter binnacle. In the GT, the driver is sat higher than in the equivalent saloon but there’s a wide range of up-down adjustability in the seat if you prefer to be sat ‘in’ the cabin rather than perched above it.

​ WHAT DO YOU GET: ​ With prices for the 320D SE GT model starting north of £33,000 all the basics (electric windows, colour infotainment, climate, parking aids etc) are covered. However, if you want metallic paintwork BMW will charge you an extra £645 and full leather seats cost an extra £1,295. The GT’s big rival, the Audi A5 Sportback, is usefully cheaper but has a meaner standard specification (no rear parking sensors and no cruise control).

HOW PRACTICAL IS IT? ​ The real story is aft of the cabin where the boot pops up (automatically) to reveal a luggage compartment that’s even roomier than the 3-Series Touring. At 520 litres it’s larger than the A5 Sportback (480 litres) and the seats down figure (1600 litres) is within an ace of the 5-Series Touring (1670 litres).

The hatchback produces other benefits, too. The rear seat backs recline 15 different ways, while back seat passengers have an impressive 3.0-inches of extra legroom and are perched 2.3-inches higher for a better forward view.

RUNNING COSTS: ​ The 320D comes up trumps again - the 50 mpg claim is within reach if you’re not chasing the rev limiter and the low CO2 emissions means you pay just £100 for your road fund licence. BMW’s 2.0-litre diesels have a good reliability track record, too.

​ VERDICT: ​ ​The GT is bigger, longer and heavier than its saloon sibling. The stretch makes it a more useful vehicle but the extra weight makes it slightly more ponderous. However, I’m prepared to hazard a guess that only the owners on the most intimate terms with the saloon would notice. In the real world the GT simply makes more sense. It costs more than the equivalent saloon (in fact, you could have a 520D saloon for the same amount) but, if you have a growing family, the extra outlay is well worth it.

Spec:​ Engine: ​2.0-litre four cylinder, 16 valve, turbodiesel Power: ​184 @ 4000 rpm Torque: ​280 lb/ft @ 1750 rpm Top speed: ​140 mph 0-62mph: ​8.0 seconds Fuel economy: ​57.6 mpg (official combined figure) CO2 emissions: ​129g/km Insurance group: ​30 Equipment: ​Parking sensors, remote locking, starter button, electric windows, 6.5-inch colour screen, alloys, climate control, leather trim.

​ ALTERNATIVES:​ ​Audi A5 Sportback: Arguably even sportier to look at and cheaper to buy, but the 2.0 TDI isn’t the sweet spot in the A5 range.

Mercedes CLA: 220CDI can’t match the 320D for pace despite having a 2.2-litre engine.