Next-gen BMW 3 Series to be lighter, more aggressive on the outside

It’s no lie; the BMW 3 Series is the Munich-based automaker’s best-selling passenger car. Surprisingly, from the E30 3 Series, all generation of the 3 Series have all found homes in SA.

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For the 2019 model year, the Germans are set to introduce the next BMW 3 Series which, according to reports, will introduce a new set of technology from the flagship 7 Series and a more aggressive look.

Reports by BMW Blog suggest that the 3 Series will grow in dimension and width, which prompts it will spawn offer more interior and load space than the outgoing model. Six centimetres more are available in length of which two centimetres are given to the wheelbase.

Inside, the BMW 3 Series will be significantly upgraded. The new BMW CEO Harald Krüger wants to react to customer criticism, therefore the displays, the operating system and the infotainment are also to be significantly upgraded compared to the current generation.

The number of physical buttons is reduced, so expect to see new ways to interact with your car and more use of digital buttons and displays.

In the basic version, the G20 3 Series gets analogue instruments and a touch display in the centre console. Optionally, there is a large display facing the driver. A digital combination instrument is also available at an additional cost. The head-up display will still be available.

Gesture and voice control will be introduced for the first time to 3 Series customers, while the iDrive knob will continue to control some of the car’s functions.

Just like the new G30 5 Series, the high-volume seller 3 Series is built upon the CLAR architecture. Thanks to CFRP components and a higher proportion of aluminium, the platform allows the new 3 Series to weigh about 40kg less than the outgoing model, resulting in a sportier drive and lower fuel consumption.

Under the hood, BMW will likely introduce engine range that goes from three-cylinder models to four-cylinder models up to six-cylinder models – all with turbocharging.

Consumption and CO2 emissions are down 5 percent, power is up 5kW and torque about 20Nm. Among other things, the engines will offer more efficient cooling and more injection pressure. In addition to the plug-in hybrid 330e, there will also be a BMW 325e with 171kW of power. The electrical range extends from 40 to 50km.

In the 316d, the power goes from 85kW to 101kW, in the 318d from 111kW to 121kW and in the 320d from 141kW to 152kW. In the 325d, there will be 177kW instead of 167kW in the current model.

In the new 3 Series family, there is place for a new model and BMW aims to fill that gap, which basically extends from the 340i to the M3 Sedan.

The BMW M 340i and M 340d will give customers the choice of powerful and sporty 3 Series models, which will differentiate visually from the rest of the pack, and when it comes to the power output.