BMW's dashing new diesel

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It is the new 330d and it is an absolute scorcher.

Although based on the classic BMW six-cylinder diesel engine this latest creation bristles with new technology such as an aluminium crankcase, third-generation common rail direct injection with piezo injectors, and a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry.

All of which means that if you light its fuse it will blast out 180kW and 520Nm which translates into zero to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds and a top speed curtailed to 250km/h.

And the beauty of this beast is that you don't even get the morbs when you give it some Addidas because it only emits 157g of CO₂ per kilometre and if you take care you can probably reduce its expensive forecourt juice intake to 6.3 litres/100 kilometers.

But be warned: driving the 330d in the way your mother-in-law would approve of is not easy, because underneath its tailored executive suit lurks a party animal of note.

Not that you can't idle gently down to the shopping mall in it. Of course you can. But that's not really the reason you buy a car like this.

This one is for unadulterated driving pleasure and it will blow all the negatives you might have about diesel power right out of the window.

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For a start, you can forget about farm-bakkie clatter. This healthy 3.0-litre growls and roars like only a fine-tuned chunk of Teutonic machinery can.

BMW flew a small group of motoring scribes to George, handed over the keys to three 330d's and two petrol-driven 335i stable mates, pointed at a long road and a distant mountain range and said: “Go and have fun.”

So we did. And it was an absolute hoot.

The first thing you notice about the “new” 330d is its incredible power surge… almost seamless as it skips through the auto box (you can also go tap-tap with the autobox selector or flick around with the happy-flappies on the steering wheel).

Interestingly, the 330 diesel is faster by a whisker than the 330 petrol model and is only out-gunned by the petrol-fed 335i.

But it's not just speed that makes the 330d such fun to drive. Throw it at a corner and the brakes, suspension, steering all blend together beautifully.

There certainly is a huge improvement in ride quality. Gone are the thumps and bumps from the previous model's almost too taut suspension and run-flat tyres.

The run-flat tyres are still part of the car's kit, but the suspension has been beautifully tweaked to suit the car's wider track and that makes for a much more comfortable ride - and better cling in the corners.

Beemers have always had sharp steering and you can feel it in this car. It's a got a slightly heavy, but pleasantly weighted feel and the car goes precisely to where you point it.

Even doing silly things doesn't unnerve this smart saloon. It feels rock steady and happy even when you drive it like a cocky teenager with more enthusiasm than experience.

By comparison the petrol-powered Beemer feels a tad sharper and quicker off the mark. It also feels slightly lighter through the corners and a bit more sensitive on the hands, but if you drive it with soft hands, as you would handle a thoroughbred horse, the rewards are thrilling.

Because that's what the 3-Series is known for. They are blue-blooded driver's cars, built to thrill and delight.

The motoring marketing types don't like car scribblers to write about a car being merely cosmetically revamped… they prefer terms such as “new”, or at least “re-modelled”.

But it will take a staunch BMW fan or a trained eye to spot the changes between the “old” and the “new” 3-Series.

Cosmetically the changes aren't major, but what has been done certainly looks good, with a new chiselled bonnet, new light designs at the front and rear, deeper recess double kidney grille, stretched wheel arches and a few other subtle add-ons emphasising the Three's new wider track.

Overall it all comes together in a car that struts lower, wider and a little meaner.

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In the living quarters, too, the changes are subtle but important, with a lot of emphasis on a simpler, cleaner lay-out and better positioning of knobs, switches and dials.

And there will be a world-wide cry of joy at the news that the marque's widely criticised I-Drive control system has been simplified and is now much, much easier to use.

All in all, quite a few important steps forwards and upwards for this iconic range. And one thing's for sure - it's going to increase the intensity of the war between BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The 3-Series models and new prices are:

BMW 320i - R 286,500
BMW 320i - R303,000
BMW 320d - R341,500
BWM 323i - R337,000
BMW 325i - R367,500
BMW 330i - R424,000
BMW 330d - R432,500
BMW 335i - R477,000