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December 10, 2021
Test drive of the BMW 318i Touring—an outstanding wagon for the joy of driving | BMW
A Pleasing Engine That Revs Smoothly to Higher RPMs
Nowadays, a 2-liter engine is considered rather large. The engine is more than adequate for everyday use. While the 250Nm of peak torque might seem modest on paper, it's enough to lead the flow of traffic on ordinary roads.
While it doesn't offer explosive acceleration, the engine revs beautifully into the higher range, and the feeling of smoothly increasing torque is something that car enthusiasts will surely appreciate, I believe.
Today, the station wagon market includes not only European contenders like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, and Volvo V60, but also compelling offerings from Subaru (Levorg) and Mazda (Mazda6).
In terms of driver assistance systems, the 3 Series is equipped with a high-performance triple camera, a powerful processor, and radar. It also features the "Traffic Jam Assistant with Hands-Off Function," for which BMW was the first to receive approval.
Some may perceive BMW primarily as a manufacturer focused on driving dynamics. In reality, they are also at the forefront of technological innovation. The conversational voice commands that are becoming increasingly common today were, in fact, pioneered by BMW.
The standard "Parking Assistant" also debuted on the 3 Series. This system records the vehicle's path when moving forward (up to 50 meters) and can then automatically reverse along the exact same route when needed, thanks to the integrated "Reversing Assist function."
According to BMW Japan, this allows for "safe and precise return to the original route when encountering oncoming traffic on narrow roads, which are common in Japan."
When you press the button, engage reverse gear, and release the brake pedal, the car smoothly backs up along the exact path the driver took. Although I haven't owned a current-generation 3 Series myself, I suspect that many owners have found this feature to be incredibly useful.
The "318i Touring" is priced at 5.23 million yen. Its fuel economy is 13.3 km/L under WLTC mode, which is quite reasonable. Regardless, it is a station wagon that stands out for providing the joy of driving.
Inquiries
BMW Customer Interaction Center
Tel. 0120-269-437 (Weekdays 9:00-19:00, Weekends and Holidays 9:00-18:00)
https://www.bmw.co.jp/
