Oh, by the way, our Genesis article is up... sadly... that was a very short test (don't know if you can call a drive of less than ten kilometers a "test")... sadly because it was an interesting car... lots of power, good suspension (great for a Korean...) and lots of toys... but my last test, a BMW X6, which should go up next week... was even shorter in terms of kilometers driven... but in terms of how much driving we were allowed to do, it was a world of difference.
The Genesis is an absolute revelation for a Korean car. The quality, the build and the technology (brand new chassis, suspension, etcetera...) and the confidence are something you would never expect... even if you're familiar with the new and improved Hyundai models already roaming our streets. even better, Kelley Blue Book and other authorities are giving it a big thumbs-up. This looks like it'll be a home-run for Hyundai... if the public is willing to give it a chance. Still, it's no BMW... it's just nowhere near as good a driver's car as the BMW 5-series... or even the X6.
Of course, this entry isn't about either car. It's about the car we took up north to the test and that I drove back down to Manila. The BMW 320i.
Lito German, the ever-loving Marketing guy from BMW, set us up with various BMW models to take to the X6 test up on the racetrack at Subic. Brent Co (of http://www.autoindustriya.com ) and I drove up in the middle of the night in blinding rain at a steady 120-140 km/h. The car felt utterly stable, but I wasn't so sure of the speeds Brent was driving at. Of course, being a sigurista... I called dibs on the driver's seat for the drive back.
And you know what? I can understand how he got up to those speeds... the 320i is not just stable... it's very stable. And, as most European cars are, it's build with highway legs like Claudia Schiffer... they go on and on and on... I was doing a lazy 160 km/h at just 3000 rpms in 6th gear on the SCTEX on the way home... Brent, my wife and my kid sleeping like babies. Impressive. My Japanese motor might accelerate faster, but I wish it were this quiet at just 100 km/h. The 6-speed automatic and perfect drivin position made long-distance motoring absolutely relaxing.
Despite not having the new BMW Navigation system, the trip was uneventful and easy. The SCTEX has really cut time off of the Manila to Subic trip. While our trip to Subic was beset by flash floods on EDSA and torrential rain, the trip home was mostly dry with a smattering of light drizzle. It took us just two hours to leg it back to Manila, despite catching rush hour traffic around Quezon Avenue and slowing to 120 km/h every time I thought I saw a patrol vehicle on the side of the road.
And the 320i impressed on the racetrack, too. Handled very well, punched out of corners easily, and slithered through slaloms and chicanes with ease. Great composure. There's some push when you exceed the tire's limits, but then, that's easy to cure. In fact, I'd say this feels more organic than the MX-5 we drove a while back... and less buzzy, strangely.
Great seats, nice interior, decent space... this car ticks all the right boxes. While this variant may not have all the bells and whistles, I don't really mind... I like my cars simple. And while the steering may not have the "right-now" handling immediacy of the C-Class we tested a while back, the chassis balance and steering feel are still leagues better.
The only niggles with the 320i are the side mirrors, whose concave wingtips can give you headaches, and the run-flats, which make the ride over gravel parking lots and broken pavement terrible. Otherwise, I could imagine living with one of these cars for the rest of my life.
Only, make mine a manual.
