Turbo power seems to be the name of the game in the all new BMW 3 Series, revealed today (October 14). For the first time all variants of the best-selling car in the premium segment will feature BMW's TwinPower Turbo technology from the 116bhp 316d up to the twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-pot under the bonnet of the 335i.
The 316d and 318d diesels will produce 116- and 143hp respectively, while the 320d will come in both a 184hp version and an EfficientDynamics model that produces 163hp, just 109g/km of CO2 and combined consumption of 4.1 litres/100km (68.9mpg).
On the petrol side of things both the 320i and 328i will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with 184hp and 270Nm of torque for the 320i and 245hp and 350Nm for the 328i. Many have lamented the death of the naturally aspirated six-pot, but with the new 328i recording a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds and fuel consumption of 6.4 litres/100km (44mpg) it at least goes some way to making up for it. The big-six's only outing is in the guise of the 335i that uses the same engine as before. Not that Irish buyers care for anything other than a diesel engine in this segment of the market. All cars will be available with a choice of a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearboxes.
In addition to BMW EfficientDynamics technologies like start-stop, Brake Energy Regeneration and Optimum Shift Indicator expect to see advanced features such as a full-colour heads-up display, active cruise control, lane change warning system and the BMW Connected app for social networking on the go.
The new BMW 3 Series will make its public debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2012 and will go on sale in Ireland soon after.