BMW 3 Series - New Cars 2022 Overview - The Ultimate Driving Machine
0This is the new generation restyled 2022 BMW 3 Series M340i sedan. Checkout interior and exterior design, features, safety and driving assist system, performance, comfort and other details in this video.
M Performance models are the middle children in BMW's portfolio, yet they often represent the best of what this German automaker offers. These M-lite cars deliver much more excitement than their mainstream counterparts while being far more livable than full-M vehicles, which usually trade too much comfort and livability for modestly enhanced speed and grip. In contrast, M Performance models are all about balance, and thus the best overall experience in the 3 Series range is the 2022 BMW M340i xDrive, an engaging and refined luxury sports sedan with all-weather grip.
The current-generation 3 Series is getting on in years, and the car certainly feels it in some areas. The interior is nothing to write home about, with its humdrum soft plastics and aluminum accents. The backseat is also unreasonably tight and difficult to get into and out of because of the narrow door openings and wide sills. Compared to rivals like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and even Genesis' G70, the M340i's cabin is pretty mediocre, but at least its front seats are supportive and ergonomic. This example also features black leather embellished with blue stitching, a $1,450 extra that adds some much-needed visual pop to an otherwise dour interior.
When it comes to tech, this Bimmer comes standard with BMW's Live Cockpit Professional, which includes a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster augmenting a 10.3-inch central touchscreen. That second panel looks particularly good, with bright colors and excellent viewing angles, though BMW's iDrive 7 infotainment system is far from my favorite. It's super speedy and responsive, but it also has quite a steep learning curve, with a few too many menus and settings. Simplifying things, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both supported, and each smartphone-mirroring system can connect wirelessly.
As for safety features and aids, this particular M340i is fitted with plenty. The $700 Driving Assistance Package includes blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning. Beyond that, the $1,700 Driving Assistance Professional Package throws traffic-jam assist and a whole mess of other features into the mix, like adaptive cruise control with lane centering. That last item works as advertised and is smooth, though the lane centering feels a little soft, it doesn't lock the car in the middle of its lane quite as strongly as systems from competing automakers. Rounding out the tech, this BMW also benefits from parking sensors, an ever-helpful 360-degree camera system and a head-up display.
When it comes to nuts and bolts, a 3.0-liter turbocharged I6 augmented by an eBoost 48-volt mild-hybrid system makes the magic happen, cranking out 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. That's enough to scoot this four-door to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, three-tenths quicker than its non-xDrive twin and just as swift as a standard M3.
Like other BMWs, the M340i xDrive feels light and nimble, yet it's still plenty polished – refined rather than raw like the hard-edged M3. The well-balanced M340i is available with either rear-drive or BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which costs $2,000 more.