Damien O’Carroll likes the fact that you can’t tell the difference, from the outside at least, between an ordinary BMW 3 Series Touring and the four-wheel-drive version.
Looking at the BMW 330d Touring xDrive, you would struggle to see any difference between the AWD car and its traditional RWD sibling. That is because, apart from the small xDrive badge on the tail door, there isn’t any difference. The AWD wagon looks every bit as sleek and sexy as the RWD versions, and only a BMW train spotter will be able to tell them apart. And, personally, I rather like that. The inside is the same as well; massively high quality materials and construction, and a cool and confident design. The sports seats are spectacular, being both comfortable and supportive. In other words, identical to the RWD wagon and sedan. Up front in the 330d lurks the thoroughly magnificent 3-litre 190kW/560Nm in-line turbo six engine, a remarkable piece of engineering that doesn't sound at all diesely from the inside, and bellows like an angry bear when prodded along. The eight-speed automatic transmission is living proof that dual clutch transmissions don't have the "super-fast and slick" market cornered yet, and the stupidly powerful engine is also laughably economical. On the road, the 330d xDrive is absolutely, startlingly, insanely good. The xDrive AWD system is an absolute master of the art of putting the torque exactly where it is needed at the exact moment it is needed, and hooked up to the magnificent diesel six and the slick transmission, the 330d xDrive becomes utterly intoxicating to drive.
Turn-in is as sharp as it is in a 3 Series sedan, and the added weight of both the wagon body and the xDrive system is literally unnoticeable. Throw in a fantastic ride and you have everything! Adding a staggeringly good four-wheel-drive system to what is already a startlingly good car always sounds good on paper, but it doesn't always work. Sometimes the extra weight of the 4WD setup ruins the balance of the car. Other times it just all comes together badly. But not here. Not with the BMW 330d Touring xDrive. Here, everything works perfectly to create a car far better than we would ever have thought. It is a car that feels for all the world like a RWD BMW 330d (i.e. brilliant) until you chuck it into a corner a bit harder than you meant to. Then it surprises you by simply going around it anyway, with no complaints. Try again, a bit harder this time. Still no drama. Do it in the wet and you will understand. In the wet, you can feel the incredible xDrive system working - only just though - and it is a true wonder to behold. Go into a corner, very fast, on a soaking wet day, and the 330d xDrive will turn in as eagerly and sharply as any other 3 Series. If it is slippery enough, you will feel the xDrive system working with the stability control to keep a grip on things. Then do the unthinkable - nail the throttle to the floor on the way out. One of two things will happen, depending on whether or not you are in Sport Plus in the drive mode settings. If you are in any mode other than Sport Plus, then the car will rocket out of the corner like it is bone dry underfoot. You will feel the unusual sensation of a six-cylinder BMW chanelling some of its power through the front wheels ,and then it will just go, ready for the next corner. If you are in Sport Plus, you will experience something very similar, except that the rear end will want to get a bit more playful, so will swing gracefully into action for a few moments, just like the smile on your face that always follows it... The BMW 330d Touring xDrive is a simply stunningly good car that has power to burn, and a poise and confidence on the road that defies belief. In any conditions.
Specifications:
Body type Five-door wagon Drive All-wheel drive Engine type Inline six-cylinder turbo diesel Engine capacity 2,993cc Max power 190kW @ 4000rpm Max torque 560Nm @ 1750rpm Fuel consumption 5.4L/100km C02 emissions 149g/km 0 to 100km/h 5.4 seconds Front suspension Multi-link Rear suspension Multi-link Roof rack No ABS brakes Yes Air bags 6 ESP Yes Air conditioning Dual zone climate Lap/diagonal belts 5 Satellite navigation Yes Electric seats Yes Burglar alarm Yes Panic button No Boot release Yes Cargo cover Yes Boot capacity 495/1,500 litres Wheel type 19 inch alloy Spare tyre
