BMW 318d Sport Gran Turismo

Want a BMW that combines space and style? The 3 GT is a strong choice. Keen drivers will notice it’s heavier than the saloon, yet it’s refined and in most situations drives like any other 3 Series. The smart and practical cabin is a highlight, but you need a 320d to match rivals’ performance in this test.

The 3 Series has been the linchpin of the BMW success story for more than three decades. Now, a third model joins the already well established saloon and Touring estate versions.

Sat at the top of the range, the Gran Turismo is around £1,300 more expensive than the Touring, and follows the high-roofed, stylised hatchback concept introduced with the bigger 5 Series GT. However, from first sight the newcomer has a more cohesive look than its ungainly older brother.

Bigger headlights and a reprofiled bumper ensure that the familiar 3 Series face is in proportion to the GT’s much larger dimensions, while the sloping roofline dominates the view in profile.

And although the 3 GT is a considerable 81mm taller than the Touring, it still manages to look remarkably sleek.

At the rear, the rounded tail attempts to disguise the 17mm-wider body. Coupe-inspired details such as the frameless windows and optional glass roof add some style, too. In addition, Sport models like ours come with gloss treatment on the B-pillar, bumper trim and front air inlets.

Yet the thing that really marks out the GT is a wheelbase that’s been stretched by 110mm over the Touring and saloon. This gives more legroom than in a 5 Series saloon, plus there’s more space than in either competitor in this test. Better still, the car’s height increase means there’s also plenty of headroom.

A wide rear bench ensures there’s a lot of shoulder space, too, but the big transmission tunnel makes the middle seat uncomfortable on long trips. Still, the seatbacks adjust for rake, and overall passenger comfort is among the best you’ll find in a BMW.

Practicality is good, too. The 520-litre boot is 25 litres bigger than the Touring’s, while the wide hatch makes loading easy. The seatbacks can be tumbled from both the passenger compartment and the boot, while the maximum luggage capacity is 100 litres up on the Touring’s, at 1,600 litres. Sport models get an automatic tailgate as standard, too.

The good news continues up front, where the simple execution and smart design fare well against the over-complicated styling of the Citroen. Excellent quality is matched to solid materials, while the optional sat-nav has clear mapping and is great to use.

With a wide range of adjustment, the driving position is comfortable and familiar, although as you sit 59mm higher than in other 3 Series, you get a slightly raised view of the road. Not that you’d notice this from the driving experience, as most of the time the GT feels largely indistinguishable from other versions of the BMW compact exec.

Fast, well weighted and accurate steering is matched to precise handling and excellent stability at speed. Really push on and you’ll feel the car’s extra bulk, but the controls are perfectly weighted, while the Sport and Sport + settings on the standard Drive Performance Control load the steering and sharpen the throttle even further.

Not only does the BMW outhandle its rivals, it’s also more comfortable. This is largely down to the £750 optional adaptive dampers, which help the GT effortlessly soak up bumps. The £790 optional 19-inchwheels react to potholes, but in general the relaxing ride impresses.

Due to its modest 141bhp output, the 118d GT doesn’t have the performance to match the 175bhp Audi, although you can solve the problem by spending an extra £1,400 to step up to the £33,410 320d Sport, which delivers 181bhp from the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Even so, our test model feels eager on the road and was nearly as fast as the more powerful DS5 on our track test.

Sticking with this less powerful 118d also keeps your CO2 emissions down to 119g/km, which makes the BMW the cheapest company choice in this test. And although there’s a little bit of rattle at idle, the car is refined on the move, especially when you stay in the sweet spot between 2,000 and 3,500rpm.

Better still, we averaged 41.5mpg, and fixed-price servicing and decent residuals make the 3 GT a strong choice. It’s clearly a worthy addition to the line-up. The question is whether all this is enough for it to win.