Quite possibly the best family car from BMW, the M340d Touring ticks all boxes since it’s fast, luxurious, and practical. It’s also remarkably economical for a six-cylinder car, especially since last year’s facelift brought a mild-hybrid setup to bolster efficiency. But how good is it when performing an evasive maneuver? Spanish magazine km77 found out by putting the diesel performance wagon through its paces in a moose test.
The test car had the optional adaptive suspension and larger 19-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires measuring 225/40 R19 front and 255/35 R19 rear. Its ample low-end torque and xDrive allowed the M340d Touring to quickly get going in the slalom test. Although it exhibited very little body roll while dancing through the cones, it completed the course in a mediocre 23.7 seconds.
The diesel performance wagon from Bavaria was consequently slower than a Cupra Born (23.6), MINI SE Countryman (23.3), or an Audi RS3 Sportback (23.1). The mid-engined, lightweight Alpine A110s was the quickest of the bunch, at only 21.6 seconds. According to km77, the stability control system greatly intervened when the car was heading back, therefore significantly slowing it down.
In the moose test that followed with the suspension in comfort mode, the M340d Touring had an entrance speed of 75 km/h (47 mph), but it smashed one of the cones before completing the course. The same happened in the subsequent test. It wasn’t until they lowered the entrance speed to 71 km/h (44 mph) that the diesel BMW wagon – with the suspension in sport mode – was able to complete the course without moving any of the cones.
The moose test was repeated at slightly higher speeds, but without any success. Partly because of the driver’s miscalculations but also due to the car’s tendency to slide more than he was probably expecting.
Source: km77.com / YouTube
