KUALA LUMPUR: BMW Malaysia introduced its latest M340i xDrive and it's Malaysia’s first locally-assembled (CKD) M Performance vehicle.
Priced at RM402,354 (on-the-road with sales tax exemption, without insurance) the M340i is covered by a five-year unlimited mileage warranty with free scheduled service and bookings can be made on BMW Malaysia's online site for RM1,000.
The M340i xDrive will be available at all authorised BMW dealerships nationwide starting Oct 24 and comes in four colour options including Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Sunset Orange, and Portimao Blue.
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The colours can be complemented by either Leather Vernasca upholstery in Black or Cognac with black décor stitching.
Power comes from a 3.0-litre (2,998cc) inline-six engine producing 387hp from 5,800 to 6,500rpm and 500Nm of torque from 1,850 to 5,000rpm.
The "twist" is managed by an eight-speed Steptronic sports transmission with an M Sport differential for its rear-biased xDrive all-wheel-drive system.
This allows it to sprint from 0 to 100kph in 4.4 seconds and onwards to an electronically limited top speed of 250kph. Fuel consumption is rated at 7.7 litres per 100km and emissions at 177g/km of carbon dioxide.
Externally, the M340i is fitted with BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line, welcome light carpet, powered glass roof and a pair of automatic BMW Laser Light with high beam assistant.
For "bling", the M340i is fitted with staggered 19-inch (8JJ - front and 8.5JJ - rear) M lightweight Double Spoke 792 M Bicolour wheels wearing 225/40 (front) and 255/35 (rear) run-flat tyres.
The wheels obscure the M Sport braking system with ‘M’-designation that uses four-piston (front) and single-piston (rear) callipers - both painted in blue.
Two trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes flank the bottom rear of the bumper while the front ornamental grille gets painted in Cerium Grey for the front left/right air inlets, M aero body parts, external mirror caps and the M rear spoiler.
The electronically adjustable adaptive M Sport suspension is able to lower the M340i by an additional 10mm compared to the standard 3 Series.
Catering to the purists is a variable sport steering system that's been tweaked for improved feedback, including a 12.3-inch BMW Live Cockpit Professional instrument display that's linked to a heads-up display.
Inside, the cockpit is furnished with an Anthracite roofline from BMW Individual, illuminated front door sill finishers as well as a combination of Aluminium Tetragon with Pearl Chrome highlight trim finishers and Vernasca leather upholstery.
"M" parts for the cabin include the multifunction sports steering wheel, front power-adjustable sports seats with driver memory function.
Also added as standard are keyless-entry with push-start button, automatic wipers, hands-free boot operation, Parking Assistant with rearview camera, tri-zone climate controls and 11 predefined ambient lighting colours round up the comfort and convenience list.
Entertainment comes from a 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system with a 10.25-inch BMW Navigation System Professional touchscreen display that has BMW ConnectedDrive services including Intelligent Emergency Call, Teleservices, BMW Digital Key and Intelligent Personal Assistant.
For safety, the M340i xDrive comes fitted with six airbags with seat-occupancy detection, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).
This includes Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Dynamic Braking Lights with flashing function and crash sensor with closes the windows and folds the exterior mirrors.
BMW's Driving Assistant further bolsters safety with Lane Change Warning, Crossing Traffic Warning at the rear, Rear Collision Warning, Speed Limit Assist, Lane Departure Warning with active steering intervention, as well as the Forward Collision Warning with brake intervention function.
"We are proud to introduce the All-New BMW M340i xDrive and expand our portfolio of locally-assembled models in the country. The move also underlines, our commitment to continue driving local assembly capabilities and expertise in Malaysia,” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Harald Hoelzl
With BMW Malaysia's Dynamic financial programme, budding owners can opt for the Balloon Financing Plan from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia with a monthly instalment plan starting from RM4,468 (based on estimates of an 80% loan over a five-year tenure).
