New car news

14 October 2011 - 14:00

The new BMW 3 Series revealed

This is the most important new car of the year. Scratch that. With all due respect to the VW Golf, this is the most important new car of the next few years. It is, impassioned Internet hounds, the all-new BMW 3 Series.

BMW has released lots of information about its bread-and-butter model; the car that has the biggest responsibility of ringing enough cash registers to allow the creative freedom to build fabulous M cars.

So, here we are. It's the sixth-generation of the venerable junior executive, and retains its trademark rear-wheel-drive and 50:50 weight distribution, together with a chassis that's 50mm longer and 37mm/47mm wider front and back than the current model.

See more pics of the new BMW 3 Series

BMW has stiffened up the body, and the five-link rear chassis setup from the E90 has been "improved and refined", while up front, aluminium struts, wishbones and swivel joints complete the fully independent setup. BMW also claims the electromechanical power steering doesn't trade any accuracy or precision. This is something they have to get right.

And powering this new body - lightened by up to 50kg - is a dizzying range of turbocharged engine variants. First up, the 316d and 318d diesels will produce 86 and 107kW respectively, while the 320d will come with a 137kW version, and a 122kW Efficient Dynamics model. That latter variant records a claimed 3.4l/100km and returns just 109g/km of CO2, and is now available with an eight-speed auto. A six-speed manual is also available.

The 320i, powered by a new turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, will produce 137kW and just under 270Nm of torque, while the 328i gets a 182kW/350Nm version of this engine. Sadly, it replaces the old naturally-aspirated sixer from the 325i and 330i.

The 335i gets the same twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-pot as before.

BMW is fitting 17in alloys with run flat tyres (groan) as standard to every single Three, except the 320d ED, while variable sport steering and M sport suspension with electronically controlled dampers are, naturally, an option.

Inside, the new 3 Series gets 15mm more knee room and 8mm more headroom in the rear, while the height of the rear door and its opening angle have both been increased to ease your ingress/egress. Boot space on the saloon rises to 480 litres, up 20 litres from before.

See more pics of the new BMW 3 Series