SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you can get at home.
*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.
Pics by BMW Pressclub
Posted: 23 May 2014
“Anaconda,” the man said.
“It’s the lights,” I agreed: “They’re slit-eyed and evil-looking.”
“And the gear lever,” he pointed out. So it is: The upright and forward-inclined shifter looks like a snake ready to strike.
The spine chilling “reptile” under discussion was a charcoal coloured (its marketers call it ‘Mineral Grey’) BMW 428i with Sport Line package and the eight-speed sports automatic it really deserves. Priced, equipped like that, at R590 370-20 including carbon dioxide tax, it’s sexy if slightly menacing. With a few options added, the price swelled to R704 820-20. Delivery charges are extra. Your accountant might not be too thrilled, but you live just once and if the car’s deductible, go for it.
Taking over where the 3-series coupé left off, 4-series cars fit in with BMW’s revised numbering system of 1, 3, 5 and 7 for sedans and 2, 4, 6 and 8 for coupés. But don’t dismiss it as a rebadged three; there’s a lot more to it. Although only 26 mm longer, its wheelbase was stretched 50 mm and it stands 16 mm lower. Ten millimetres of that is down to having had the suspension lowered. That brings its centre of gravity to below 500 mm; the lowest of any in the present BMW line-up. It’s also 43 mm broader, but track measurements are now 45 mm wider in front and 80 at the rear. Extensive restyling makes it look more aggressive while a lot of re-engineering transforms it into even more of a driver’s car.
BMW made key improvements in steering accuracy, precision and agility, then honed, further still, the credentials of the new coupé as a purist’s driving machine. Sophisticated chassis technology, torque steer-free electric power steering, 50:50 weight distribution, fine-tuning in the wind tunnel and innovative lightweight construction gave them the tools to achieve their aims. Despite being bigger and stronger than the one that went before, it’s up to 25 kg lighter.
Inside, clever utilisation of space, thanks to structuring of lines and surfaces into layers, provides a natural canvas for the hallmark BMW driver focus while being careful not to exclude the front passenger from the action. All controls central to driving are arranged around the driver, providing ready access to all functions. Automatic belt feeders, a sports steering wheel, clear circular instruments in black panel look and the freestanding, flat screen monitor underline its functional elegance. The iDrive Touch Controller, within easy reach on the centre console, adds the finishing touch to the cabin’s usability and comfort.
In common with most German cars, the ‘428i’ badge no longer means the 2.8-litre six of days gone by. This one is a turbocharged two-litre four that just happens to haul ass like a good 2800, dashing up to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and on to an electronically governed 250. Precise direct injection, twin-scroll turbocharging, Double-Vanos variable camshaft timing and Valvetronic fully variable valve control ensures impressive performance with low fuel consumption and emissions.
The proof is in the driving. Work the rocker switch on the console until ‘Sport’ shows up in the panel between the main dials. Slide the gear stick leftward for manual override and give it hell. It feels odd at first, requiring backward pulls for higher ratios and forward pushes to change down, but you adapt quickly. Aim the 428i at the twistiest road you can find and drive it the way it should be driven. Stay within your abilities and you don’t have to be a top-notch racing driver to get your adrenaline boiling. It’s powerful, energetic, competent and forgiving. And a monkey-barrel full of fun.
The default Eco setting with its softer responses provides more than enough urge for daily commuting and then there’s Eco Pro. IMHO this is really only good for driving in slush and snow; or like your grandma on a long and quiet trip so you can get, just once, the kind of fuel economy you will brag about later at the golf club. It has no real place in a true BMW. If, however, you’re such a wuss as to use it regularly, kindly turn in your Beemer permit and give the car to me.
The Sport Line package mentioned earlier gave us sports seats, special 18” alloys, a Sport+ position in the response program that adds dynamic traction control, special ambient lighting and an array of appearance items. Other kit added included Comfort Access (keyless entry and start, and smart boot opening); the Connected Package that provides advanced satnav, convenience telephony, internet preparation and speed limit information; a Parking Package with park assist, PDC and rear view camera: all the usual electrical adjustments for the seats; a sunroof; rear sunblind; anti-dazzle and folding for the outside mirrors; adaptive lighting and high beam assist; active cruise control; lane change assistance; Active Protection that battens all the hatches if the car senses that you’re about to collide spectacularly, and a surround view camera.
All this equipment is nice but expensive. But you really need everything except, possibly, the rear blind and the sunroof. The rest are must-haves, especially if the car's deductible. And so sinfully enticing, it’s a lust-object magnet.
Test car from BMWSA press fleet
The numbers
Price: R590 370-20 (basic with CO2 tax, Sport Line package and Sport automatic)
Price loaded: R704 820-20
Engine: 1997 cc, inline four-cylinder with twin-scroll turbocharger
Power: 180 kW between 5000 and 6500 rpm
Torque: 350 Nm between 1250 and 4800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 5.8 seconds
Maximum speed: 250 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 8,6 l/100 km
Tank: 60 litres
Boot: 445 litres
Warranty: 2 years/unlimited km
Maintenance: 5 years/100 000 km Motorplan; with BMW On Call
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8