330d xdrive?

[Spencely]

Hi all, I was wondering if it's possible to get a 330d xdrive in this country?

I've always thought a 330d with four whell drive would be just about perfect! Anyone know why BMW doesn't import them to the UK? Are they even available with right hand drive? And yes, it's the recent snow that's made me think of it!!!

[shark_90]

Because they don't want to admit that Audi were right about 4 wheel drive?

[Andy_Bangle]

Because they don't want to admit that Audi were right about 4 wheel drive?

... plus they are 0.2 seconds quicker on the 0-62mph sprint than the RWD, again linking in to what shark says above

[CarMad]

I think they have put so much into the marketing that RWD and the 50/50 weight balance is the perfect driving machine, blah blah blah.

I think someone on here said they sell more 4wd cars in Germany than Audi does but BMW UK haven't marketed them and haven't sold any in a while.

We are more likely to be getting the 68MPG 320D in the new year than anything to reduce the C02 and change the UK brand perception.

But I agree a 330D X drive would be very interesting indeedy.

[sidicks]

I think someone on here said they sell more 4wd cars in Germany than Audi does but BMW UK haven't marketed them and haven't sold any in a while.

Is that by number as a percentage of total sales? Regardless, I still find it hard to believe, as my guess would have been that 20-25% of Audis would be quattro / Haldex 4WD, whereas the number for BMW would be less than 10%, even including the X5 etc.

Does anyone have the numbers to justify the above?

Sidicks

[CarMad]

A quick google and I found this from a 2006 BMW press article for the 3 series.

All-wheel drive is on the advance: in the successful year of 2005, one in four

of the approximately 1.13 million cars of the brand BMW sold worldwide were

fitted with the intelligent all-wheel drive system xDrive. This means that BMW

sells more all-wheel drive vehicles than any other premium supplier. This

leading position is the result of an attractive model range and the unique

functionality of the all-wheel drive system developed by BMW. BMW xDrive always

distributes drive power where it is required.

We just don't get the xDrive models but they are far more prevalent in other markets.

[CarMad]

And this from Jan 2009.

Munich. In 2008 BMW has once again asserted its status as the world's most successful supplier of all-wheel drive automobiles and has once more moved significantly ahead of its main competitors. 323, 293 vehicles fitted with the intelligent all-wheel drive system xDrive were sold throughout the world. This means that the market leader was able to increase sales of all-wheel drive automobiles by around one per cent in spite of tough market conditions. This positive development shows that customers are becoming increasingly aware of the system's superior qualities as compared to the competition. xDrive's lead over the manufacturer in second place in the segment was almost doubled as compared to 2007.

The share of vehicles fitted with xDrive in relation to total sales of the

brand BMW increased to 27 per cent in 2008.

[Gracillis]

whoa!! 68mpg 320!! make me wanna get ready to trade in 335...

[Merlot]

I have seen a fair few 4WD three series' in the alps when I go skiing. It is really annoying as I would be very keen on having on here in the UK.

[CarMad]

Yeah it would be nice to be given the choice but I think its a marketing department decision, the brand has been created for what it stands for in the UK and 4wd would blur things somewhat.

[DHA]

I wonder if you could get a forces export version in RHD from Germany?

[CarMad]

Possibly but selling it later would be tough as might some of the servicing / parts supply.

Would certainly be interesting to have a 330d Xdrive especially in the weather we have been having recently.

[Alloy Mark]

Simple economics.

BMW tried the E34 five series with 4wd in the UK from 1991 to 1995. Absolute sales disaster.

Can possibly see the cars moving better this year and next whilst we all remember the embarassment of not being able to get your pride and joy out of the pub car park or back onto the driveway. However give it two to three years of "normal" winters and no one will put the exra money in at the front end or carry the running costs of a 4x4 system when the car looks identical...

Meantimes, type approval for the 4wd will cost millions and take at least five years to ammortise across the sales involved.

[tristanspeed]

Hi - I've got an e46 330XD touring with the M-Sport pack and it's great. I live in France, and the 4wd system is really a big benefit in wet and snowy weather as you'd imagine. Pulling quickly out of wet junctions or accelerating hard from a rainy roundabout is a lot easier to handle for someone who isn't a 'dab of oppo' king. I'd say that the car has a slight tendency to oversteer before giving a very slight oversteer drift under hard throttle - whether the former is related to the 4wd I don't know, as it's the first e46 I've had. My previous e36 touring oversteered a little more.

The system has a 40/60 torque split front to rear, so it retains plenty of BMW feel, and the steering is uncorrupted. But you do feel the front wheels scrabbling for traction slightly on gravelly corners, which is a rather wonderful yet also surprising feeling in a Beemer. Regarding real all-weather ability, I think running snow tyres would make a massive difference, as my summer tyres didn't cope well with corners and braking in the hundreds of kms I did in snow this year.

Given the number of 3-series sold in the UK, I'm surprised BMW don't offer it as an option, because 4wd really does make the 330d a very credible all-weather performance saloon, without the nose-heavy feeling that Audis so often give.