Executive retreat
Home » Magazine » Good, issue 7 » Executive retreatPower, status, performance … now how about adding some green to the mix? Martin Bell checks out the new eco-conscious BMW 3 Series
A well-heeled business executive is possibly the hardest person to wean from a gas-guzzling, high-performance saloon car. Think of steam-cooker corporate jobs and it’s easy see why business types prefer a sporty, speedy marque as a badge of success—and hang the carbon emissions.
So here’s a smart move: choose a sporty sedan with the eco-cred of a hybrid. It’s still better to catch a bus to work, or bike if you can. But if you need style and performance to match the day job, consider the remaking of an automotive classic: the BMW 3 Series.
Now well into its third decade of production—and with global sales of over 11.5 million cars—the 3 Series is a sporty, high-performance compact sedan that launched in 1975 with economical engine sizes, in line with the oil-shock times. In the 80s it was reborn as the yuppie car for Gordon Gecko wannabes, then as the must-have accessory of the glamour guild. Fast-forward to our own globally warmed times and the 3 Series has been remade again, this time with Efficient Dynamics under the hood—and including the hood, actually.
Efficient Dynamics is BMW’s way of having your cake and eating it too, improving both fuel economy and performance. It begins with lightweight construction, brake energy regeneration and computerised engine management—it ends with lower fuel consumption, fewer emissions and increased power. Rather than just concentrating on one or two green models, BMW employs these measures across its line-up, from the cute-as-a-button 1 Series to the prime ministerial 7 Series. Its 118d was named World Green Car of the Year at the 2008 New York International Auto Show.
How does this affect the 3 Series? Fuel consumption for the 320i is down 36 percent over the last 25 years while power has increased 36 percent and emissions quality improved by a whopping 95 percent (see below).
Diesel engines are looking even better. Diesel was once out of favour for its filthy sulphur content and lack of power, but the combination of improved diesel qualities in New Zealand, EU emissions standards and BMW’s innovative diesel particulate filters means its diesels are cleaner burning and as powerful as petrol equivalents.
New Zealand still imposes road user charges on diesel vehicles but that doesn’t detract from the efficiency gains. The latest 320d manual uses 5.5 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres and emits just 147 grams of CO2 per kilometre, while its 320i petrol stablemate uses 7.9 litres over 100 kilometres and emits 189 grams per kilometre.
If performance, power and status are your thing, then you might consider adding lower fuel consumption and emissions to your shopping list. They aren’t necessarily incompatible—and, hey, your colleagues might even be impressed.
Greener Performance
| MODEL | POWER OUTPUT | FUEL CONSUMPTION | EMISSION QUALITY | KERB WEIGHT |
| 1983 E21 320 | 92kW | 9.8l/100km* | ECE R15-04 | 1105kg |
| 1993 E36 320 | 110kW | 9.0l/100km* | EU1 | 1315kg |
| 2008 E90 320 | 125kW | 7.9l/100km* | EU4 | 1425kg |
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