Test Drive: Is BMW’s 3 Series long wheelbase ‘Gran’ enough?
February 11, 2021
Safety tech include six airbags, ‘attentiveness assistance’’, ‘dynamic stability control’ including cornering brake control and parking assistance - S Muralidhar
The transmission tunnel is fairly tall. Yet, a passenger sitting in the middle of the rear seat should still be comfortable than in the standard sedan - S Muralidhar
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Safety tech include six airbags, ‘attentiveness assistance’’, ‘dynamic stability control’ including cornering brake control and parking assistance - S Muralidhar
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The transmission tunnel is fairly tall. Yet, a passenger sitting in the middle of the rear seat should still be comfortable than in the standard sedan - S Muralidhar
Merc’s GLE have benefited from being built on a longer wheelbase. So giving Indian luxury car owners more rear legroom clearly works. Question is, just how well will it work for BMW’s 3 Series; a car otherwise associated with greater driver engagement and driving pleasure? Will the longer wheelbase allow it to deliver the best of both worlds, or will stretching it dilute its unique driver focused DNA too much? Let’s get started.
BMW 320Ld Gran Limousine design On the face of it, and at first glance, the Gran Limousine (or G28 as it is known internally) looks very similar to the regular 3 Series (G20). In fact, look at it from the front and it’s almost impossible to tell the standard car from the longer wheelbase one. Some versions have more bling on the nose and others get a blacked-out centre section in the lower bumper; but these apart, the two are near identical when viewed head-on.