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Bmw 330d
It’s hard to believe that this fairly ordinary looking diesel powered family saloon, is so fast it has to be electronically restricted to a top speed of 155mph. Think that’s cool?, so do I, but what’s even more astonishing is that it will also deliver an average of 50 mpg on the combined cycle! Wow! – I want one! This Bmw 330d develops close to 250 bhp, will hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and then go on to its 155 mph top speed, but if you drive it in a sensible manner it will also return 50+ mpg! This is a revamped version of the most recent 3 series, which is now 3 years old. Performance and economy from the 3 litre diesel engine through the 6 speed gearbox fitted to the Bmw 330d is impressive to say the least. The 330d engine utilises Bmw’s third-generation common-rail fuel-injection system. The unit produces 247bhp and returns 49.8mpg in the combined cycle. The 330d delivers the bulk of its shove from very low down the rev range and will continue to rev well past 5000rpm, when most diesels run out of puff around 4000rpm. BMW has also revamped its original iDrive setup with a more user friendly version. Not much else has changed in the revamp, the interior is still a little cramped in the rear, if you need more space the Bmw 530d would be a suitable alternative if a little more expensive. The revised Bmw 330d is on sale now and prices start from £30,950, its closest rival is the classy Mercedes-Benz C320CDI, which is another great performance diesel.
