Introduction

BMW India has introduced the new and updated M340i at India’s first-ever music and driving festival, rightfully called the ‘Joy Town’. The two-day brand experience festival is set to be held in three stages. The first one took place in Delhi where the M340i was joined by the M-Division’s newest flagship – the XM.

We got a chance to get up close and personal with the M340i souped-up in the M Performance parts. So let us look at its finer details.

Exterior

The M340i is the range-topping version of the 3 Series. Since the M340i kick starts the model offensive for the updated BMW line-up, we will soon see the arrival of the updated 3 Series facelift as well. But before that, what we have here is the updated M340i.

Part of the update on the new M340i is the sharper-looking headlamps. Gone are the angel lamps the 3 Series was always famous for, and in its place is BMW’s newest design which incorporates a twin eyebrow-like design. It also gets the Bavarian carmaker’s Adaptive LED with blue highlights. The kidney grille on the M340i is usually different from the standard 3 but with the M Performance pack, the sleeker grille also gets a different mesh styling finished in piano black. Then, there’s the aggressive-looking bumper lower down. With the M Performance kit, you get a carbon-fibre splitter which juts out and makes the fascia look even meaner.

More carbon fibre is seen on the ORVMs, and our show car had a sporty wing too at the back. The paint scheme you see in the pictures is done up in Dravit Grey. But apart from it, you can also spec your M340i in Mineral White, Black Sapphire, and Tanzanite Blue paint options. Further, part of the M Performance package is the wing spoiler which doesn’t shout out but complements the stance of the M340i. The 19-inch M light alloy wheels in 791 M-specific wheels are also done in gloss black. Then, more carbon fibre finishes are seen on the lower diffuser, which is more prominent than before. Flanking the diffusers are the dual trapezoidal tips from the M Performance exhaust.

Interior

Apart from the updated front, the cabin gets a heavy revamp as well. First and foremost, BMW’s newest curved display makes its India debut with the M340i. The new BMW curved display integrates a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen with a 12.3-inch driver’s display, wherein all of this is part of a single floating panel. The screens run the newest OS8 version of the iDrive and offer all the modern connectivity features. Even the gear lever design is new. It replaces the conventional and familiarly designed gear lever of the BMW cabin with a single slot-type switch for the gear selector.

The rest of the cabin remains more or less unchanged. The centre console has familiar buttons and the leather-wrapped steering and bucket seats have M-specific upholstery with the Sensatec/Alcantara wrap. There’s generous use of anthracite on the headliner and other carbon fibre-finished trims seen all around. Also, as exclusive design features, the digital instrument cluster and front door sills have the ‘M340i’ lettering on them.

In terms of equipment, the M340i gets a sunroof, six-colour ambient lights, three-zone climate control, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a heads-up display, a wireless charger, and connected car tech. On the safety front, the new BMW M340i gets six airbags, attentiveness assistance, an anti-lock braking system (abs) with brake assist, dynamic stability control, dynamic traction control, cornering brake control, electric parking brake with auto hold, side-impact protection, electronic vehicle immobiliser and crash sensors, run-flat tyres with a tyre pressure indicator, ISOFIX mounts, and integrated emergency spare wheel.

Engine

This being a facelift, the changes to the powertrain of the M340i are limited. You still get the 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six making close to 375bhp and 500Nm of twisting force. All the power is sent to all four wheels, thanks to the xDrive channelled through an eight-speed automatic. There’s still no manual here and there won’t be. But you do get the M Sport exhaust with this spec. The 0-100kmph time of the new M340i is 4.4 seconds, making it the quickest BMW to be produced in India.

Other hardware includes an M-Sport suspension with a 10mm lower ride height. It also gets the variable sport steering (VSS) which changes steering response corresponding to the speed, along with M Sport with brake callipers painted blue with an M logo on it.

Conclusion

Now, apart from the M340i, the second launch at Joy Town was the all-new XM. The XM is developed by the M Division from the ground up and is not based on any conventional BMW. It’s the first car in almost four decades, after the M1, since a dedicated M-developed car was introduced. The BMW XM is also the most powerful M car with 650bhp on tap. It’s the new flagship and is launched in India at Rs 2.60 crore, ex-showroom.

We can’t wait to get behind the wheel of both, the new and updated M340i and the all-new XM, to experience them first-hand and bring you a detailed report.

Pictures by Pawan Mudaliar