Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £21,525 to £38,060
Excellent economy, low emissions, low running costs, excellent refinement.
Limited choice of options.
A no-brainer for company and private buyers, with huge real-world savings and few compromises.
BMW has been using the Efficient Dynamics package of fuel-saving and emissions-reducing measures on its cars since 2007, but the 320d Efficient Dynamics is the first time the tag has been applied to a model name.
It represents the latest raft of updates to the 320d in the name of efficiency, with headline figures of 109g/km of CO2 and a combined consumption of 68.9mpg, making it the most efficient car yet to wear a BMW badge.
Bettering the regular 320d by 19g/km and 10mpg, the new car will not only save its owners money at the pumps, but also when paying road tax. Business and fleet buyers, in particular, will make out like bandits.
Yet - and here's the important bit - BMW will sell this variant of the 320d for the same price as the SE version at £26,680, with just as much equipment as standard.
Where's the catch? Well, for most buyers, there won't be one. Performance is reduced by a small amount, but not noticeably so. In fact, the biggest downside seems to be the lack of customisation found elsewhere in the 3-Series line-up. Fancy a 320d Efficient Dynamics M Sport? Sorry, no can do. Likewise, an automatic transmission will not be offered and the only wheels available will be the standard 16" 'Aero' design alloy. But if you can live with those limitations, why would you buy a conventional 320d?
Read on to find out if there are, indeed, some hidden catches.
