BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo interior
The BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo’s cabin feels suitably solid, but it doesn’t have quite the same design flair or hewn-from-granite feel as some alternatives
Style
The BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo’s interior looks very similar to the standard 3 Series’. As a result, you get a sweeping dashboard, a sporty steering wheel and a centre console that’s angled towards the driver’s seat to make you feel more cocooned than in the likes of the Audi A5 Sportback or Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake.
Most of the plastics on the dashboard, doors and centre console feel sturdy and come with a plush soft-touch finish and everything feels more solidly screwed together than in a Jaguar XE.
Pick a Sport model and you get several black and red dashboard inserts to brighten up the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo’s otherwise very grey interior alongside a set of more supportive sports seats and some mood lighting. Rather disappointingly, the latter comes with a choice of just two colours – white and orange – instead of the Mercedes broad spectrum of hues.
If you want leather seats, you’ll have to pay extra or step up to an M Sport car. These versions also come with blue plastic and brushed aluminium interior trims and a new leather steering wheel with M Sport badging.
It certainly isn’t the newest infotainment system around, but the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo’s iDrive is still one of the easiest to use
- Used
- £10,780
Infotainment
The BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo comes with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment display as standard. The screen is bright and sharp so it’s easy to read when you’re driving, and the intuitive menus are easy to navigate through using the scroll wheel on the centre console.
You get satellite navigation as standard, too, which is a doddle to use and delivers clear and concise directions. You can enter an address using either the on-screen keyboard or by writing letters from a postcode directly on top of the touch-sensitive scroll wheel.
Unfortunately, you can’t mirror your smartphone navigation apps on the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo’s screen unless you pay extra. Even then, you can only connect it with Apple iPhones – not Android devices.
Another optional extra that’s worth considering – even if you’re aren’t an iPhone user – is the Professional Media pack. This comes with a larger 8.8-inch infotainment display and an upgraded navigation system. The more expensive Professional Plus media pack is less praise-worthy, however. It’s rather expensive and only adds internet connectivity, a concierge service and head-up-display to the standard Professional Pack upgrade.
On the subject of optional extras – there are two stereo upgrades to consider. There’s a BMW Advanced unit which adds some extra bass and volume to the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo’s standard stereo, and an even better Harman Kardon system – perfect if you’re a die-hard music fan.
- Used
- £10,780