IT’S difficult to believe that the 3 Series has been around for 40 years. The way in which it goes about plying its hard-to-emulate blend of sportiness and sensibility has seen the years fly by and established rivals often shrugged aside with little bother.
But times are changing and the much-loved 335i nameplate – and its great N55 engine – has made way for the 340i and its all-new six-cylinder motor. As if these changes weren’t a challenge enough, Jaguar has also entered the fray with its hard-hitting XE S.
Does the British upstart have what it takes to down the seasoned pro, or will the BMW’s new heart only strengthen its nigh-on-unbeatable virtues?
OUTSIDE AND IN
Although Jaguar’s newcomer has copped criticism for adhering to a styling formula that’s very similar to that of the XF, it doesn’t detract from the fact that XE S is a tastefully executed product.
Much like the M Sport-kitted 340i, the Jaguar’s go-faster treatment is rather demure, with a mere lip of a boot spoiler, deeper skirts, model-specific grille treatment and a smattering of S badges to announce its halo positioning.
The modest exhaust tips through which the supercharged V6 has to voice itself are somewhat underwhelming, but our car’s optional 20-inch propeller-like alloys go a long way to lending it a deal of purposefulness.
Were it not for its M Sport kit, the 340i could be mistaken for pretty much any other member of its range. In typical BMW fashion, the F30’s exterior update is more an ironing out of some crows’ feet than full-on facelift. There are just minor tweaks to the head- and taillamps, a revision to a bumper here and there, and maybe a couple of new paint schemes and alloy wheel choices in the brochure, but it’s understandable that BMW was never going to overly meddle with the formula of its bulk seller.
Instead, the more appreciable changes have taken place inside. Where there were hard, scratchy lower-door plastics in the first iteration of the F30-generation Three, there are now rubberised mouldings, tasteful chrome accents span the facia, and pretty much every element has been subtly worked to impart an air of improved quality that helps keep the cabin within reach of impressive recent rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
The one rival whose fit and material standards it won’t be worried by is the XE S. While there is a greater sense of occasion to the Jaguar’s interior treatment, with its rising gear selector and planes of facia with stitching that sweeps towards chromed outer air vents, the quality is patchy and the plastics and finishes in the Jaguar’s cabin lack the respective perceived density and polish of its rival here.
Irritating B-pillar buzzes and a rubbing noise from the steering wheel boss when turning the wheel were joined by a few other little creaks and rattles that never beset the BMW’s tranquil interior.
The legacy of cramped rear quarters and occasionally awkward packaging that’s been a problematic element of most contemporary Jaguars has unfortunately followed the XE S. The awkward B-pillar placement impinges slightly on rear three-quarter visibility and egress and rear legroom is a miserly 639 mm, more than 100 mm astray of the BMW’s. Boot space is a similar story, with BMW’s 328 dm3 versus the Jaguar’s 240 dm3, although the British car’s split-folding rear seats do free up 800 dm3 of utility space.
The Jaguar claws back some points with a sporty, low-slung driving position in well-bolstered seats that are more laterally supportive than the BMWs rather shapeless items and a vastly improved, crisp-screened infotainment system. The BMW’s iDrive media hub has also been updated to run smoother and respond quicker to inputs than it did before.
UNDER THE BONNET
The BMW 340i’s new B58 power-plant will doubtlessly come under the microscope, especially given the huge N55-sized shoes it has to fill. Featuring an all-aluminium block, the 3,0-litre turbocharged unit is the fruit of BMW’s recent modular engine architecture and can, to some extent, be likened to a brace of the company’s three-cylinder 1,5-litre turbopetrols laced together.
While the new engine’s outputs represent increases of 15 kW and 50 N.m over those of the N55, its more free-revving nature and the wonderful dollop of torque that billows between 1 380 and 5 500 r/min make it feel both markedly sharper and more flexible.
Factor in an eight-speed ‘box that adapts fluidly to whichever drivetrain mode is selected, and the 340i can instantly go from cruising serenely to snarling and hunting down the horizon with an eye-widening turn of pace when stamping on the accelerator. In the latter role the 340i is a seriously fast car, cracking the 0-100 km sprint
in just 5,39 seconds.
The XE S borrows its supercharged 3,0-litre V6 from the entry-level F-Type. Like the BMW unit, it can tread between cruiser and bruiser, albeit not as smoothly owing to the eight-speed ‘box’s tendency to rush through the gears in normal drive mode. Twirl the selector to sport and they meld wonderfully.
Much like its feline namesake, the British car’s launching procedure has it shimmying its rump before a scrabble of claws digging into the ground and a bounding leap see it broach the 100 km/h-mark in 5,65 seconds. But, while it was a shade slower out of the blocks, the Jaguar felt a mite more assured than the BMW, which exhibited a split second of floatiness about its steering even after finding traction.
Although punchy, the XE’s supercharged engine doesn’t exhibit the BMW’s broad torque band, resulting in noticeable margins between the cars in terms of overtaking acceleration in the 40-to-100 km/h brackets.
ON THE ROAD
The 3 Series traditionally plays the part of comfy compact executive with a sporty edge to a tee; the balanced nature of its powerplant invariably filters through to its road manners.
Simply put, you can tell that BMW has been playing this game for four decades – the 3 Series fits like a glove and does exactly what is asked of it. Revisions to the suspension in the shape of more contact points with the chassis in the rear linkages, and tweaks to the spring and damping rates, result in a ride that’s taut yet impressively comfortable, even on the test unit’s optional 19-inch rims.
The 340i’s suspension setup and body control also deserve plaudits. Powering the car into bends, you can feel exactly what’s going on beneath you; when that plentiful grip is about to expire and what the car’s attitude is at that exact moment all transfer themselves from chassis to rump, to inner ear and synapses.
The only slight disconnect in the circuit is the power steering. The 340i’s electrically assisted helm has a quick rack, but there’s a hint of lightness and artificiality that presents itself around dead-centre and occasionally under spirited cornering that just numbs its edge a touch.
Jaguar’s always had a knack for imbuing its cars with wonderfully fluidic ride and body control, and the XE S is no exception. Despite rolling on 20-inch rims shod with 35-profile rubber, its ride is firm but supple enough in its damping to absorb most surface conditions while still reining in body roll in a controlled but communicative manner, even when the XE S is driven enthusiastically.
Like the BMW, there are wonderfully communicative underpinnings at play here, with grip limits and the body’s behaviour clearly telegraphed to the driver. Where the BMW’s steering took some sparkle out of the experience, the same cannot be said of the Jaguar’s tiller. With a pleasing meatiness to its weighting, good responsiveness and an ability to be communicative without becoming tiresome, it forms part of a dynamic package that gives the BMW a run for its money.
The only areas where the Jaguar concedes ground to the BMW are in highway-speed refinement – those big tyres kick noticeable road noise into the cabin – and braking performance, where the 177 kg heavier British-made sedan ran 0,12 seconds astray in the emergency braking tests.
Both cars have distinct voices: the BMW’s war cry is a smooth-edged rumble with a hint of turbo puff on upshifts, while the Jaguar’s hollow-chested snarl is interspersed with a distant supercharged whine.
YOU PAY YOUR MONEY
And in the Jaguar’s case, you pay dearly. Although it wants for nothing in terms of standard specification, the price gulf of nearly R260 000 between it and the BMW is completely unpalatable. Even specced above and beyond its British rival here, our 340i test unit was still more than R50 000 cheaper.
There’s some consolation for the Jaguar in terms of fuel efficiency, though. While their fuel indices sit far apart and the Jaguar weighs 117 kg more than the BMW, our fuel test saw the contenders return 9,0 and 8,9 L/100 km respectively.