To their surprise, the car unlocks itself as you approach. You pull the door handle, jump in the driver’s seat, dump the grocery bags on the front passenger footwell, then slam the door shut.
Stunned, the people in the van get the surprise of their life when you push a button on the dashboard and they hear your car’s engine roar to life. You slip the gearlever into gear and smoothly drive away. They never saw you holding a key or slipping anything that remotely resembles one inside an ignition switch. They ask each other how on earth you managed to unlock your car, get the engine started, then drive off without using any key.
The answer to their big mystery lies in two words: "Comfort Access." And it’s available in the new BMW 3-series, specifically the P2.695 million 320i Executive Edition. Comfort Access works through a radio transmitter embedded in the specially designed BMW key. Once the key is within range of the vehicle — whether in the driver’s pocket, briefcase, or handbag — with Comfort Access the vehicle’s doors automatically unlock upon recognizing the signal from the ID sensor.
This intelligent system integrates with the BMW motorsport-inspired Start-Stop button, allowing the driver to start or kill the engine with a touch of a button. (The driver needs to step on the brake to start the car.) With Comfort Access, the need to retrieve the vehicle’s key and insert it in a conventional ignition slot to start the vehicle is no longer required.
Once the car is parked, Comfort Access automatically locks the door and activates the vehicle’s security system once the driver touches the grooved surface on the top of the door handle after alighting and closing the car door. Should the driver accidentally forget the key in the car or in the trunk, the doors will not lock and the driver will receive an appropriate warning. How’s that for idiot-proof?
In addition to having the Comfort Access system, the new BMW 3 Series Executive Edition is also distinguished by specially designed 17-inch alloy wheels.
Now for those who want a sporty, head-turning 3 Series, BMW Philippines offers the M Sports Package. Based on the design of the high-performance M cars, the P136,000 aerodynamic kit provides any new 3 Series variant with a racy character and appearance.
The homologated M Sports Package components consist of front and rear bumper kits, special fog lights, as well as carbon-fiber front apron and rear diffuser trim. Aside from providing the 3 Series with a sporty and exclusive look, these weight-optimized components also enhance the performance of the 3. The specially designed and handcrafted carbon-fiber front apron reduces aerodynamic lift on the front axle for stable high-speed driving while the rear diffuser facilitates the exit of drag-inducing wind flow from under the car, also for high-speed stability.
The new M Sports Package, as well as the 320i Executive Edition with Comfort Access, are available at all authorized BMW dealers; namely, Prestige Cars BMW (Makati), Autohaus BMW (Quezon City — Libis), Klassic BMW (Quezon City — Araneta/Quezon Ave.), Autozentrum BMW (Alabang), Premier BMW (Pampanga), and Performance BMW (Cebu).