The Gran Turismo's storied past helps build an aura around every car that wears the badge as an appendage. It comes with the promise of 'fast' design and an even faster performance, with no compromise on space. Unlike ‘Weekends’ or station-wagons with large, vertical hatch-doors that make the owners seem old, Gran Turismos or GTs (literally meaning Grand Touring) put their owners in good light, making them seem young and stylish.

German luxury car maker BMW has already stuck its finger into the pie with the 5GT. Now, with an eye on emerging markets and on European buyers with tightened wallets, BMW is introducing the 3 Series GT.

At the recent Auto Expo in Delhi, BMW launched the 3GT 320d for the Indian market to be available from March this year. By bringing in the 3GT, despite the lukewarm response to the 5GT, the Bavarian luxury brand is yet again trying to boost the concept of Touring here, which has been largely been a European trend. We test drove the 3GT - 320d and 320i – both with manual transmission near Madrid recently. Here’s our take. Positioned between the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series, the 3GT combines the sedan’s sporting genes with the practicality and versatility of the Tourer. While 3GT has typical BMW proportions, it sports a few 'one-of-its-kind' features that evoke an automotive enthusiast’s interests.

Exteriors One of the coolest design features of the 3GT is the frameless windows. They lend it a sporty look compared to the 3 Series sedan. The 3GT which is longer than the BMW 3 Series, sports a coupe-style gently downward sloping roofline that offers ample headroom for rear seat occupants. It has a heavy tail-gate, but is electrically controlled allowing the boot lid to be opened hands-free. A Smart Opener also allows the boot lid to be opened hands-free with the movement of the foot under rear bumper.

The 3GT uses the chassis of the long-wheelbase 3 Series that was developed by BMW for the Chinese market. It is 200 mm longer than the 3 Series and stands taller by 81 mm. The 110 mm longer wheelbase and the increased height provide more legroom and headroom. BMW's adoption of run-flat tyres continue in the 3GT, generating even more space in an already large boot.

All the body panels and even the headlamps and tail-lamps are larger and dimensionally different from the sedan's. The 3GT is also fitted with an active rear spoiler, which gets deployed automatically when the car crosses a speed of 110 kmph. The spoiler provides both visual lightness and stability at high speeds. At lower speeds, the active rear spoiler retracts out of sight, leaving barely a ripple in the coupe-style roofline.

Another interesting feature of the 3GT are the Air Curtains – small apertures located under the front wheel arches. These together with the Air Breathers – air outlets – located on the side panels just behind the front wheels, offer better ventilation to the brakes. The air curtains, air breathers and the active rear spoiler do their bit to maximise efficiency and optimise aerodynamics.

Interiors The 3GT's interior is typically BMW and exudes the same level of premiumness that the current gen 3 Series brought to the segment. The cabin's driver focussed layout ensures easy access to all driving functions. A black panel display and a free standing iDrive monitor in contemporary flat screen design underline the sense of functional elegance.

The higher seating position raised by about 59 mm provides an outstanding view of the road and makes entry and exit more comfortable.

Also, the increase in space is noticeable more in the rear compartment, where there is extra leg room of 70 mm, placing the 3GT in the luxury car territory between the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series. Sports utility and crossover lovers should like the 3GT's drive position.

The 3GT has a large luggage compartment with a boot capacity of 520 litres, about 25 litres more than the 3 Series sedan. By folding the split rear seats, the boot space can be increased to 1600 litres. Interestingly, a rear passenger can have an access to goods stored in the boot, by simply lifting the arm rest. Inside the boot, there’s a trap door, when opened leads to an under floor storage compartment where small things can be stored.

Performance The 3GT 320d that we test drove is offered with the 2-litre BMW Twin Power Turbo engine. This 4-cylinder, 1995 cc diesel unit can churn out 184 bhp at 4,000 rpm and delivers a peak torque of 380 Nm. Acceleration from standstill to 100 kmph is said to be possible in 7.9 seconds, while the top speed that could be achieved is 226 kmph. The 3GT comes with three driving modes – ECO PRO, Comfort and Sport.

In ECO PRO and Comfort modes, which promise better fuel efficiency, the steering is lighter to operate and the throttle response is relatively relaxed. However, when switched over to Sport mode, one can feel the difference with the steering turning heavier and more responsive. The throttle response is sharper and torque delivery is quicker. The stiffened suspension also makes the 3GT's handling more dynamic and agile around corners in this mode. But the raised chassis and the relatively softer suspension means that the 3GT is not as agile as the 3 Series sedan.

We personally liked the performance of the 3GT 320d more than the petrol sibling - 320i. The 320d surprisingly felt smoother to drive and even quieter. Comparisons were flying in our heads as we swapped between these variants while driving through the snow-capped mountains and the quiet countryside dotted with olive plantations north of Madrid.

Bottomline BMW’s earlier attempt of introducing a GT in India with the 5 Series GT had evoked only a tepid response. Price was probably an issue, as might have been the lack of a felt need for more practicality. But the market here has moved on and the extra space and more cohesive design of the 3GT might be appreciated now. The 3GT 320 d has been launched at an ex-showroom price of Rs 42.75 lakh (ex-Delhi).

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