New BMW 3 Series - In Depth

Press Release

Concept: Perfect Harmony of the Drivetrain, Suspension and Body.

• Concept harmony of the highest standard.
• Tangible progress on the drivetrain and chassis, plus enhanced motoring comfort.
• The best-in-class moves up the benchmark once again.

Going from good to better, from better to best. This is certainly the right way to describe the new BMW 3 Series. But even this description is inadequate, since the fifth(!) generation of the 3 Series is now moving up the benchmark once again over its predecessor already acknowledged as the leader. Be it as it may, the BMW 3 Series is and remains the best car in its class – which has been the case now for no less than 30 years!

Throughout these three decades, the 3 Series has been far more to the BMW brand than “just� a highly successful car: In technological terms the 3 Series has remained an ongoing success thanks to its many innovations proving their qualities for the first time in large-scale series production.

In terms of market strategy, it has been an equally significant success, representing the “small� BMW premium series until the introduction of the 1 Series, in many cases being the first BMW bought by customers and aficionados of the brand the world over. And in economic terms, finally, the 3 Series has been an outstanding success with production and sales of more than three million units so far, making this the absolute best seller in the BMW world: Roughly every other BMW is a 3 Series!

Can the 3 Series become even more perfect?

A great success in technological terms, in terms of market strategy, and economically – these attributes clearly show the challenge BMW’s engineers, designers and other specialists faced in developing the new car. The question was how can such a mature, such a truly outstanding car be enhanced to an even higher standard?

The new 3 Series shows that BMW’s designers and engineers have mastered this challenge to perfection. And they have done so not just through a wide range of technical details enhanced to an even higher level than before. No – what makes BMW’s latest model is so unique and impressive is the immense progress in engine technology, on the chassis and suspension, and in terms of motoring comfort, with all kinds of innovative features benefitting both the driver and the passengers alike. And it is indeed in these three areas of engine technology, suspension management, and motoring comfort that BMW has been the leader in innovation for years.

Now more than three years of thorough development by BMW’s top-notch project team have once again gone into this best-in-class winner. With the result that the 3 Series once again sets a significantly higher benchmark in its class, offering both the driver and his passengers even more driving pleasure than any other 3 Series in the past.

Concept harmony never seen before.

No other car offers the same all-round concept harmony as the BMW 3 Series. BMW defines this kind of harmony as the perfect symbiosis of a powerful drivetrain, a dynamic chassis and suspension, a stiff but spacious body, as well as refined motoring comfort for the driver and passengers alike.

Depending on the model series, BMW’s engineers and development specialists re-align their focus among three characteristics fundamentally of equal value: Uncompromisingly agile like the Z4, supremely comfortable like the 7 Series, or, in the case of the sporting and compact 3 Series saloon, powerful and dynamic in every respect.

A competent car for all purposes.

This successful concept is based on the clear knowledge that the driver of a BMW 3 Series, with his – or her – sporting and dynamic lifestyle, wishes to enjoy the best of life not only in terms of sports motoring, but also for all everyday purposes – driving to work, going shopping, travelling on holiday with the family. In all these cases the driver of a BMW 3 Series wishes to benefit from the perfect car. And now the new 3 Series fulfils these substantial demands even contradictory themselves to a certain extent by offering a wide range of qualities never seen before in this class: Even more sporting and dynamic than its predecessor, the new 3 Series guarantees greater driving pleasure, more safety, and extra comfort.

More than any other premium brand, BMW offers the very best beneath the engine lid at the front: Powerful and refined engines in combination with a “crisp� sports gearbox have become the outstanding feature of the brand. And this applies most of all to the 3 Series: No other BMW model series offers such a wide range of engines combining superior power and performance with muscular refinement of the highest standard.

Making its world debut with four new engines.

The BMW 3 Series Saloon is making its world debut with three new petrol engines and a new diesel, each of which represents a significant innovation in technology in its own right: The new BMW 320i features the world’s only four-cylinder power unit with VALVETRONIC built in large numbers, an engine combining infinite valve control with precise adjustment geared to the position of the gas pedal. In both the 330i and 325i, the straight-six power unit comes for the first time with a magnesium crankcase as well as VALVETRONIC technology. The 320d, finally, features a second-generation common-rail intake system, other highlights of this sports diesel being multiple fuel injection as well as an exhaust turbocharger with variable turbine geometry and electrical adjustment.

All four engines offer significantly more power, an even higher standard of motoring refinement, and superior economy raised to an even higher level than before, thus once again underlining the technological leadership of BMW’s engineers particularly in engine construction.

All new 3 Series with six-speed transmission.

Even the best and most powerful engine requires the right kind of transmission to become a genuine athlete. And by tradition, BMW has always been the leader in transmission technology. Accordingly, the new 3 Series comes with six-speed transmission on all models – a manual gearbox featured as standard, six-speed automatic with Steptronic coming as an option. The fortes of all these transmission units are supreme comfort in control and operation, technical precision of the highest standard, low noise, and superior efficiency in the use of energy.

Top-class technology for an even better chassis and suspension.

With the former 3 Series already being acknowledged as the most dynamic car in its class, the new model now outperforms its predecessor once again. For BMW’s engineers have succeeded in giving the chassis and suspension new features and progressive benefits both the driver and his passengers will feel right away. Featuring the new five-arm rear axle as well as a double-arm front axle and optional Active Steering, the new 3 Series comes with outstanding innovations taken over from BMW’s top models and specially optimised for this new car. As a result, the new 3 Series literally “runs on rails� even under the toughest conditions – none of the 3 Series’ competitors offers similarly perfect driving behaviour. So that the new BMW 3 Series not only maintains its top position, but rather offers even greater leadership above all in the area of chassis technology.

This is also attributable to the latest generation of BMW’s DSC Dynamic Stability Control which, featuring functions and qualities raised to an even higher level on the six-cylinder models, helps the driver come even closer to the absolute limits of physical control. And while the customer will not consciously experience some of these functions, the fact remains that they enhance safety to an unprecedented standard especially when driving to the extreme. The dry-braking function, for example, keeps the brake discs dry at all times for the shortest possible stopping distance.

Warning: This 3 Series causes addiction!

The bottom line behind the many improvements to the chassis is a significant increase in agility the driver and his passengers have never felt before. The standard of driving pleasure is unbelievable. You almost “fear� that you will be addicted to this 3 Series!

Body progress: lighter, stiffer, safer.

The same kind of progress also comes beneath the car’s sheet metal: Even stiffer but specifically lighter than before, the bodyshell makes a significant contribution to the perfect concept harmony of the new BMW 3 Series. In this case, “intelligent� lightweight construction means not only replacing steel by aluminium, but also using high-grade steel and steel-forming technologies exactly where and in the manner required. Innovative solutions of this kind thus set off the increase in weight one would actually expect as a result of the greater demands made of the car and its larger range of equipment.

Bar and support concept reinforcing the body.

While in many areas further progress is only possible by way of detailed improvement looking at the most minute items, BMW’s engineers, focusing on the stiffness and strength of the bodyshell, have directed their attention to age-old traditions while at the same time looking beyond the confines of automobile production alone: Taking up the century-old concept of truss and girder structures, they have introduced a concept for the car’s load-bearing construction incorporating interconnected bars and supports at all points subject to particularly high loads. At the same time they have supplemented the conventional reinforcement of materials by using newly developed high-grade steel previously not available.

As a result, body stiffness is up by 25 per cent over the former model, benefitting also the car’s driving dynamics thanks to the significant reduction of body vibration. And a stiffer body also means a higher standard of passive safety.

Also in collisions from the side: the safest 3 Series the world has ever seen.

The new BMW 3 Series was designed from the start to achieve optimum results in the EuroNCAP crash test. And it is one of the first saloons in the world to fulfill the latest, extremely demanding side crash standards in the USA, with a mass of 1.3 tonnes hitting the front door of the car – that is the most sensitive point – at a speed of 50 km/h. This crash simulates an impact with an offroader, that is a sports utility vehicle with its higher ground clearance, hitting the car above the side sills with their protective effect.

Featuring impact-absorbing multi-phase and high-grade steel, the new 3 Series meets even this extreme requirement without the slightest problem. And the same applies to the new high-speed rear end test required in the USA, the car at rest being hit from behind by another vehicle travelling at 80 km/h and with only 70 per cent overlap.

Larger in size for greater driving stability, enhanced passive safety, and superior comfort.

The new BMW 3 Series has grown both outside and inside, and in particular in its wheelbase, benefitting the rear-seat passengers most of all now enjoying almost 50 per cent more kneeroom. The increase in exterior width also means an overproportional increase in interior space, the new Saloon thus enhancing its leadership over the competition in terms of passenger comfort and enjoyment.

All the space of a modern car.

The increase in length and width translates into superior “roominess� in every respect, meaning not just larger dimensions inside, but also an entirely new experience in space. The interior is light, bright and generous, reflecting the lifestyle and spirit of its young, urban target group.

This increase in size is also the response to a simple but essential trend: With the average height of people these days growing by about one millimetre each year, the cars we drive obviously have to grow accordingly – which means about 7 millimetres with each new generation of cars. So the new 3 Series also meets this requirement in every respect.

Interior harmoniously integrating all functions for the driver and passengers.

The instrument panel has also been re-interpreted. While the cockpit of the former 3 Series was regarded as very driver-oriented, the new interior slightly dilutes this one-directional focus. Now, therefore, functions not restricted exclusively to the driver also address the front passenger more clearly and distinctly, allowing him or her to comfortably operate the radio, climate control, navigation, iDrive, and telematics functions. Naturally, however, the cockpit fully retains that clear structure so typical of BMW and remains oriented towards the driver: Within the driver zone you find all the information you need presented with optimum clarity, allowing you to concentrate on the essential also in the interest of traffic safety. The middle section on the dashboard, by contrast, is defined as the “comfort zone� within easy reach from both the driver’s and front passenger’s seat and subdivided into a control level and the information level higher up.

Comfort options like in the luxury performance class.

Well-conceived design and engineering of the interior allows the new 3 Series to offer its occupants a large number of new, comfort-oriented functions. And at the same time these functions are even easier to control with maximum ergonomic benefits. So the new Saloon offers such a wide range of sensible and helpful features for smooth everyday motoring that it is able to compare in every respect with the luxury performance class. Again clear proof that the old borders between the individual classes and market segments are starting to disappear.

Distinctive design making the 3 Series a dynamic and elegant saloon.

Inside and outside, the exclusive design of the new BMW 3 Series transforms the very substance of the product in its overall complexity into a unique, multi-sensual experience: Through its design language, the 3 Series is different, independent, and full of self-confidence. Clearly reflecting BMW’s modern design spectrum, the new 3 Series is a dynamic and elegant saloon in every respect.

Agile, dynamic and light, the new 3 Series offers perfect harmony of all the values so typical of the BMW brand: powerful fascination, unique identity, strong independence. And all this comes at a level higher than ever before in the 80-year history of the Company.