BMW has previously defended its reluctance to move away from combustion engines but now says it's ditching diesel on its latest 3 Series model. SUVs like the X5 will continue to have diesel engines, the German manufacturer says. Matthias Balk/dpaBMW is dropping the diesel engine from its high-profile 3 Series line-up, with the combustion variant set to be absent from the new model to be unveiled soon, the German manufacturer says.In the eighth generation of the 3 Series — which BMW itself calls the "heart of the brand" — the diesel will be replaced by a petrol engine as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants with petrol engines, alongside the already-unveiled all-electric i3.In light of market developments, the Munich-based company said it had decided to focus on petrol engines, concentrating on the powertrains with the highest demand worldwide. Diesel engines are generally in retreat across many key markets.The decision has nothing to do with currently high fuel prices, including for diesel and the move had been taken some time ago, the company said. Car development cycles are fundamentally far longer than the current period of elevated fuel prices.BMW also said there was no blanket decision against diesel. The X5, for example, will continue to be offered with that powertrain. BMW declined to comment on which engines would be offered in other upcoming models.The 3 Series is regarded as BMW's bread-and-butter car. The high-volume model has existed for more than 50 years, with around 18 million vehicles built since its introduction.The eighth generation is to be produced in Germany at BMW's plants in Munich and Dingolfing. BMW has invested around €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in developing these plants.The electric variant will be built in Munich, while combustion and plug-in hybrid models will be produced in Dingolfing. Batteries will come from a new German plant in Irlbach-Strasskirchen. Further production sites will be San Luis Potosí in Mexico and Tiexi in China.BMW chief executive Oliver Zipse previously defended his group's strategy of phasing out the production of traditional internal combustion engines at a slower pace than its domestic rival Audi. The Munich-based manufacturer plans to sell half of its cars with purely battery-electric powertrains by 2030, he said.Audi has meanwhile said it is planning to sell only electric vehicles from 2032 or 2033 onwards. In contrast, the Mercedes-Benz brand plans for its entire new car fleet to be carbon-neutral from 2039.Volkswagen has said it plans to exit the business with combustion-engine vehicles in Europe between 2033 and 2035, with a later timeline envisaged for the US and China, and longer still for regions such as South America and Africa.BMW has previously defended its reluctance to move away from combustion engines but now says it's ditching diesel on its latest 3 Series model. SUVs like the X5 will continue to have diesel engines, the German manufacturer says. Matthias Balk/dpa