BMW’s 3 Series gets a diesel
powertrain and a number of detailed midlife changes in an attempt to
increase its visual boldness, provide it with the latest in
entertainment and communication technology, improve its environmental
credentials and further enhance its reputation as being the most
dynamically adept car in the toughly fought junior-luxury-car class.
The
new sedan and wagon models, due to go on sale across North America in
October following the 3 Series’ world premiere at the Paris motor show,
are distinguished from today’s 3 Series by fresh front and rear styling
that picks up on the themes established on BMW’s recently unveiled
fifth-generation 7 Series. The common styling is seen as proof that the
German carmaker has abandoned plans to give each model a distinctive
appearance and is instead getting back to a more stylistically
harmonized lineup.
Up front, the facelifted 3 Series receives a
series of styling changes that BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk says
are aimed at emphasizing its width, including a heavily profiled
bumper, newly contoured hood and reworked headlamps with altered
graphics.
Farther back are new exterior mirror housings and
changes to the design of the doorsills. At the rear, the BMW design
team has provided the 3 Series with altered taillights. The fender
taillight sections retain the same shape, but are joined by a newly
developed section on the trunk lid of the sedan. At the same time, the
taillights have been given redesigned lenses and more striking
graphics. Further enhancing the widened look at the rear is reworked
bumper and rear track that on upper-end models has been extended by
nearly an inch.
BMW has also brought detailed improvements to
the interior of the 3 Series, including new trim combinations, a
revised armrest for the driver’s door that makes the electric window
controls more accessible and an updated iDrive controller that gets
four selection buttons in a move aimed at reducing the complexity of
its operation. The iDrive controller is also linked to a new
high-resolution, 8.8-inch color monitor. Among the long list of options
is an 80-gigabyte hard disc used to store satellite navigation software
and MP3 music files.
Powertrains include two carryovers: the 328i with a 3.0-liter, 230-hp
inline-six and the 335i with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, 300-hp
inline-six.
New
to the lineup, arriving in showrooms in November, is the 335d, with a
3.0-liter twin-turbo, 265-hp, inline-six diesel, which uses a
urea-injection system to meet U.S. emissions standards. The diesel will
be offered only in the sedan.
Transmissions include a standard
six-speed manual and an optional six-speed automatic. The diesel comes
with the automatic as its only transmission.