MUNICH: BMW today unveiled the new 3 Series, which has undergone a mid-cycle refresh.
The new edition of the sports sedan, which has enjoyed great success for over 45 years, and the Touring model – unveiled for the first time 35 years ago – will be launched in July.
Basic price of the sedan starts at €43,900 in Germany, while the Touring variant (wagon) will start from €45,000.
Both models will be produced at BMW’s Munich plant.
Additionally, the sedan will also be made in Mexico, and a China-only version will be made in Shenyang via BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture.
Exterior
The redesigned headlights and kidney grille, along with large air intakes and a front apron, give the car strong visual presence.
The standard full-LED headlights are now much slimmer, with clear contours and daytime driving lights arranged in an inverted L shape.
Adaptive LED Headlights are available as an option, and are identifiable by the blue accents inside their covers. Blue light effects below the headlight units also give the front end a striking and high-class appearance at night.
The Adaptive LED Headlights’ range of functions includes the cornering light and non-dazzling matrix high beam as well as dynamic headlight range control and variable light distribution.
The lightly modified contours and new double bars give the BMW kidney grille an even more powerful look. Air intakes in Black high-gloss positioned below the kidney grille cool the braking system and add a sophisticated touch.
A higher proportion of surfaces painted in the body colour and a clean-cut design lend the rear apron of the new 3 Series a sophisticated look.
Horizontal lines, slim light units and flared rear wheel arches accentuate the width and muscular stance of the rear. The exhaust system’s tailpipe finishers now measure 90mm or 100mm in diameter, depending on engine variant.
The M High-gloss Shadowline trim is standard on both models, while all sedan variants come with 17-inch light-alloy wheels.
Let’s talk packages. To get a more aggressive look, one can opt for the M Sport package.
It brings new design features including a honeycomb pattern for the BMW kidney grille, a new design for the front and rear aprons and likewise new M light-alloy wheels in 18-inch format with mixed-size tyres.
The BMW Performance models from BMW M GmbH also stand out with distinctive looks. As well as a BMW kidney grille in mesh design, M light-alloy wheels in 18-inch format – or 19-inch as an option – and trapezoidal tailpipe trims for the exhaust system, their exclusive design features also include M exterior mirror caps in Black high-gloss.
The M Sport package Pro is a new arrival on the options list.
Available as an extension of the M Sport package as well as for the BMW Performance models, this package includes extended M High-gloss Shadowline trim, M lights Shadowline and an M Sport braking system with red callipers.
Retrofit items from the BMW M Performance Parts range offer distinctive options for accentuating the dynamic character of the sedan and Touring even more.
The range of exterior colours has been expanded to include Skyscraper Grey metallic and M Brooklyn Grey metallic as part of the M Sport package. The BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey metallic and Frozen Tanzanite Blue metallic special paint finishes have been added to the range too. And customers can also choose from a selection of around 150 additional BMW Individual special paint finishes.
Interior
The interior of both models has been treated to a comprehensive update. The new interpretation of the brand-typical driver focus is embodied by the standard-fit BMW Curved Display.
Here, a 12.3-inch information display behind the steering wheel and a control display with a screen diagonal of 14.9 inches merge together into a single fully digital and high-resolution unit.
BMW said this design enables the number of buttons and controls to be significantly reduced in favour of touch and voice control.
The selector lever for the eight-speed Steptronic transmission also has a new design.
It is positioned in the control panel on the centre console along with the Start/Stop button, iDrive Controller, Driving Experience Control buttons, parking brake and other vehicle functions.
Three-zone automatic climate control and navigation system now come as standard.
An automatic climate control system with three-zone adjustment is fitted as standard in both models. The climate functions are operated by voice command or touch via the control display.
Other new additions to standard specification include an automatically dimming rear-view mirror, the extended storage package and Park Distance Control (PDC) with sensors at the front and rear. All models now also come with the BMW Live Cockpit Plus including BMW Maps navigation system.
Among other signature features of the 3 Series is the wide range of drive systems available.
Engine choices and transmission
Highly efficient internal combustion engines with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, and electrification in the form of plug-in hybrid and 48V mild hybrid technology, strike a balance between driving pleasure and fuel economy.
The sedan can be ordered in three plug-in hybrid variants, and the Touring in a choice of four. Added to which, four petrol and four diesel engines with four or six cylinders are offered for both the sedan and Touring.
This line-up includes a four-cylinder petrol unit with an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head and an upgraded turbocharger system to optimise power delivery.
Heading the engine range for the sedan and Touring are two BMW Performance models from BMW M GmbH with ultra-sporty characteristics.
This means the new 3 Series covers an output range from 150hp to 374hp.
Mild hybrid technology brings particularly rapid response and increased efficiency to the six-cylinder in-line petrol engine and the four diesel units.
All the engines for the new 3 Series link up with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission as standard.
Its sporting character is reinforced by the likewise standard gearshift paddles on the steering wheel.
Available as an option is an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, which stands out with its particularly sharp shift dynamics, provides a Launch Control function for traction-optimised acceleration off the line and unlocks ultra-quick bursts of mid-range power with its Sprint function.
BMW xDrive is standard on the range-topping models. The intelligent all-wheel-drive system can also be ordered as an option for two of the petrol variants (Touring: one petrol), two diesels and the plug-in hybrid models.
Assist functions
A host of automated driving and parking systems are available to elevate comfort and safety.
Standard equipment includes Front Collision Warning with brake intervention, which detects the presence of cyclists as well as vehicles and pedestrians, Cruise Control with brake function, the Speed Limit Display with no-overtaking indicator, Manual Speed Limit Assist and Lane Departure Warning with lane return.
Options include lane change warning, the BMW Head-Up Display and Driving Assistant Professional, which comprises the Steering and Lane Control Assistant and the Active Cruise Control system with Stop&Go function, Automatic Speed Limit Assist, the route monitoring function and traffic light detection.
Among the functions provided by the optional Parking Assistant are the Reversing Assist Camera and the Reversing Assistant. The Parking Assistant Plus* – with Park View, Panorama View and Remote 3D View functions – and BMW Drive Recorder are also available as options.
The iDrive is now updated to the latest generation of BMW Operating System 8, promising powerful connectivity and data processing capabilities, plus intuitive interaction between the driver and vehicle.
The My BMW App acts as a universal digital interface between the driver and vehicle and for controlling the charging process for the high-voltage battery of plug-in hybrid models.
Whether inside the sedan or Touring models, customers can make use of the Personal eSIM designed to work with 5G mobile technology, the BMW ID for individualising the user experience, and further improved smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Meanwhile, the BMW ConnectedDrive Upgrades function keeps the 3 Series up to date with the latest software.
The content of the upgrades ranges from new services to improved vehicle functions.
Keyword: Refreshed BMW 3 Series sedan and wagon unveiled