Photographs: Priyank Mazmudar

The first BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo (3GT) came to in India in 2014. While the 3 Series got an update in January 2016, it’s facelift Gran Turismo cousin was launched in the last quarter of 2016. Apart from some styling enhancements, there’s also a new petrol engine on offer. We spent a weekend with the BMW 320d Gran Turismo to see what it’s all about.

BMW 320d Gran Turismo Exterior

The 3 GT is essentially a fastback version of the conventional 3 Series sedan. So are the dimensions same as the latter? Not quite. The 3 GT has a length of 4,824 metres, making it overall longer by 200mm, plus 79 mm taller and 17mm wider than its sedan sibling. The wheelbase has also been extended by 110 mm. Our test car was the Luxury Line trim variant. The refreshed 3 GT sports all new Adaptive LED headlamps with automatic height activation, cornering lights, high beam assistance system and white corona rings. There is a restyled front bumper with chrome accents and the trademark BMW kidney grille is wider than before featuring 24 chrome slats. There are air breathers on the front fenders with Luxury badging.  Walking by the side gives you an idea of actually how long the GT is. The chrome trims on the window lines look classy while the sloping roof line leads to the car’s distinctive rear.  The new L-shaped LED taillights look stunning and there is an active rear spoiler that pops out at speeds in excess of 110 kph and retracts once you go below 70 kph. It can also be raised or lowered by simply touching a button near the driver’s window switch panel. The rear bumper is redesigned as well and the GT gets twin tail pipes on the left hand side. The Luxury Line comes with 18 inch multi spoke alloys. BMW has extended their range of exterior colours by adding Artic Grey and Jatoba metallic to the existing palette.  Our test car came in the elegant Artic Grey shade.
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