A recent opportunity to test drive a BMW 330i M Sport gave an impression of aggressiveness in the exterior with slightly altered LED headlights, which are now striped to look like they converge with the grill, resembling those of the 7 series.

Fog lights on the bumper also use LED lamps and its turn signals are now elongated.

The tail lights appear to be more modest but dynamic, making the rear part sporty. The BMW 330i M Sport has an exterior M-Aerodynamics feature, which regulates the flow of air from the front to the back that is felt most when the car is driven very fast.

Its 18-inch double-spoke wheel rims in ferric grey make this car even sportier. Interestingly, it applies flat-tire technology that enables the tires to remain filled despite the absence of air in all four tires within a distance of approximately 100 kilometers.

With the technology and very high tire price, BMW Group Tire Coverage provides a three-year guarantee covering compensation for four tires a year on condition of inadvertent damage.

The trunk can also be easily opened by means of the Comfort Access feature, which only requires a foot movement under the rear bumper to make it accessible.

Color contrast results in the interior becoming more attractive. It is very comfortable to sit on adjustable 330i M Sport seats with their luxury leather upholstery and bucket-seat form that does not hug too tightly.

The car’s sunroof as a standard component allows a convenient head position without reducing headroom. The legroom for passengers sitting in the front and back seats is quite spacious.

Entertainment features come with an 8.8-inch screen and an iDrive Touch Controller, by which the BMW Navigation Professional System and various other attractions can be accessed, besides supporting information on driving, such as suspension regulation in driving mode.

The audio system uses the Harman Kardon Surround Sound System with 16 speakers that are appropriately positioned to make the sound pleasantly distributed, let alone for listening to acoustic music.

Like all luxury sedans, it is enough to pocket the door key so that when opening, the inner part of the door handle only needs to be touched to unlock and the part with a line contour is also touched to lock again. The same has been the standard for the start/stop engine buttons. 

The front seats are electrically operated and two memories have been added for the driver. But the tilt and telescopic regulation of the steering wheel still has to be manually operated. The handbrake indeed gives a hint of old school fun, but it makes the middle console rather crowded.

With its dimensions of 4,633 milimetes long, 1,811 mm wide and 1,416 mm high, the car has a wheelbase of 2,810 mm and a ground clearance of 140 mm. This composition of measurements is very apt for the heavy traffic conditions of Jakarta.

This automobile runs on a four-cylinder 2000 cc turbo engine like the one installed in the BMW 320i, but it has been tuned up to produce the power of up to 252 HP with a torsion of 350 newton meters.

As an illustration of its speed ability, when tested on a toll road, the time taken to run from 0 to 100 km per hour was estimated at less than six seconds.

For its handling, the car features three modes; comfort, sport and eco pro.

The comfort mode is certainly for a standard style of driving. The BMW Efficient Dynamic technology curbs the use of fuel at the optimal rate without sacrificing the comfort of driving.

The sport mode definitely makes suspension more rigid and those unaccustomed to it will feel even tougher when it is applied too long, especially if milder rocking is expected.

In spite of the toughness, in its fast-running position the car remained stable when tested to pass road bends thanks to the Adaptive M Suspension technology.

The steering wheel got heavier as it was turned, but it worked with precision and was very responsive so that it gave confidence as the car traveled on sharp bends while the foot kept pressing the gas pedal. 

As for fuel consumption, when the car was on the toll road it registered around 17.5 km/liter and when taken to congested roads in Jakarta it listed about 10km/liter. Fuel burns faster in the sport+ mode, with only about 8 km/liter.

At an off- the-road price of Rp 859 million (US$64,500), this car is definitely fierce yet it still offers comfort for driving along Jakarta’s busy and jammed roads.

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