Marseille, France. mobile.bg team from the event site.
We had the pleasure of being the first to sit behind the wheel of one of the most anticipated sports-oriented offerings in the automotive world – the new BMW M350 xDrive. The international test took us to the picturesque, but also technical routes around the French city of Marseille, where we had the opportunity to test the capabilities of the Bavarian machine to the limit.
While our test routes passed under the bright sun of southern France, our thoughts were invariably directed to how this car would perform in the native road conditions in Bulgaria, where dynamic traffic, bumps and diverse road surfaces put any sports suspension to a serious test. Here are our impressions.
Exterior and interior
The appearance of the new BMW M350 xDrive is controversial, but it immediately attracts attention with an aggressive but clean stance that builds on the brand's traditional design lines. The dimensions of 4,765 mm in length, 1,850 mm in width and 1,455 mm in height give the sedan a stable and grounded stance on the road. The front is dominated by a confident radiator grille and sharp matrix headlights that give a menacing look in the rearview mirror.
Although the aerodynamic details and the M Sport sports package look impressive, during our dynamic tests in Marseille we noticed that the low front splitter requires increased attention when passing through sharper overhangs - a nuance that will certainly be relevant when driving through Bulgarian cities with their frequent and steep traffic police.
The interior of the car welcomes passengers with an impeccable combination of luxury, digitalization and sports spirit. The materials in the cabin are of the highest quality, and the ergonomics of the sports seats provide perfect lateral support even during very aggressive cornering. The driver is surrounded by the BMW Curved Display, which combines the instruments and the multimedia system into one unit with extremely fast response and intuitive software.
As a small minus, we note the excessive use of touch buttons and menus at the expense of the physical switches of the climate system, which sometimes distracts attention from the road. However, the space is more than enough for both front passengers and adult passengers in the back seat, making it a practical choice for long trips on the country's road network.
Engine and driving characteristics
Under the hood of the test car lies a real gem - a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder turbo gasoline MHEV engine, with an impressive 437 horsepower and a massive torque of 580 Nm. All this power is sent to all four wheels via a perfectly tuned eight-speed automatic transmission that shifts gears in a flash and completely imperceptibly.
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds will have passengers glued to their seats, and top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. On the winding coastal roads near Marseille, the chassis showed phenomenal traction and precise handling, with the xDrive all-wheel drive system neutralizing any attempts at understeer. Despite its sporty nature, the adaptive suspension manages to filter out the greater amount of road bumps, although on rougher asphalt the feeling in the cabin remains firm – something quite normal for a class oriented towards dynamics.
The fuel consumption during the test was around the limits of the factory data - around 7.5-8 l/100 km in mixed driving and depending on the weight of the right foot), which is a very acceptable achievement for such a powerful six-cylinder unit.
During the intensive tests around the French coast, the engineers also introduced us to the innovations in the braking system and drivetrain. The BMW M350 xDrive has advanced M Sport brakes with four-piston aluminum fixed calipers at the front and ventilated discs with a lightweight construction, which retain their stability and efficiency even during prolonged descents on mountain bends and aggressive braking.
Special attention was also paid to the electronically controlled M Sport differential on the rear axle. Through constant and fully variable locking of the multi-plate clutch, the system instantly redistributes torque when exiting sharp bends, ensuring maximum traction and perfect directional stability even during dynamic driving on variable road surfaces.
In addition to its purely dynamic qualities, the test BMW M350 xDrive also demonstrates a serious leap in the field of advanced autonomous technologies thanks to the innovative highway assistance system called BMW Highway Assistant. This function allows the driver to completely let go of the steering wheel and let the car take over steering, acceleration and braking at high speeds on the highway. The modern technology works through a combination of high-precision cameras, radar modules and detailed map data that constantly scan the road situation, monitor the lanes and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.
One of the most impressive capabilities of the system is lane change when overtaking, in which the entire maneuver is performed completely autonomously after two simple actions by the driver. When the traffic situation allows overtaking or changing lanes, the driver only needs to signal in the appropriate direction and look at the corresponding side mirror. The built-in interior camera recognizes eye movement and confirms human intent, while sensors and radar scan blind spots, after which the car turns the steering wheel itself and smoothly moves into the adjacent lane.
During our tests on French highways, we were convinced that this technology works absolutely flawlessly and intuitively, turning motorway kilometers into a real vacation. However, at the moment, this functionality is not yet available and is not fully activated for the market and road network in Bulgaria, as its official deployment depends on local mapping, legal regulations and the availability of the relevant infrastructure for highly efficient support of autonomous systems in our country.
Main pros and cons
Among the main advantages of the new BMW M350 xDrive are its impressive three-liter six-cylinder turbo engine with 437 horsepower and massive torque of 580 Nm, which guarantee lightning-fast acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds. The model also impresses with its precise chassis and the advanced xDrive all-wheel drive system, which provides phenomenal traction and perfect directional stability in bends. An additional plus is the high-tech interior, as well as the aforementioned innovative BMW Highway Assistant system for autonomous driving on highways.
The main disadvantages include the firmer ride and the low front splitter, which require increased attention and caution when passing over bumps, steep traffic policemen and rougher asphalt on Bulgarian roads. The excessive use of touch buttons and menus at the expense of physical switches for the climate system can also distract the driver while driving. In addition, the high price of about 80,000 euros positions the car in the extremely premium segment, and the most advanced assistants for autonomous driving remain inaccessible to the Bulgarian road network for the time being.
Conclusion and prices
There are still no exact prices for the Bulgarian market, but the company has given indicative prices for the new third series with ICE. The base 318, which has a power of only 155 horsepower, will be offered for around 50,000 euros, and the price of the BMW M350 xDrive we tested will be around 80,000 euros. This positions the car in the premium segment, where competition is serious, but for this amount, buyers receive cutting-edge technology, exceptional dynamic performance and a high level of standard equipment, which can hardly be found in direct rivals in this class.
The new BMW M350 xDrive is a car that successfully combines two opposing essences - an impeccable everyday sedan and a raw sports beast. Our team was impressed by the technological leap and engineering solutions invested in this model. Although its price is high, and its firm ride and low clearance require attention on domestic roads, the car offers incredible driving pleasure and a character that is difficult to forget.