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The new BMW 3 Series sedan gains a few inches in length while losing weight on average.
By Paul A. Eisenstein
In an era of product proliferation, few vehicles better define a brand than the BMW 3-Series. It?s not only the best-selling line in the compact luxury segment, it?s also the top seller in the Bavarian maker?s product portfolio.
So there?s good reason for all the attention being paid to the all-new 2012 3-Series that's making?its formal debut this month.
With new products also on tap from other key competitors?-- notably including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class?-- this could be one of the most important launches BMW has had in a number of years.
The sixth-generation model is the direct descendant of the 2002, the car that put BMW on the map and helped justify its corporate tagline as ?the ultimate driving machine.?
?We are confident that the new BMW 3 Series will build on the tremendous success of its predecessors,? proclaimed BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer during a premiere in Munich where he described the line as ?the world?s most successful premium vehicle.?
The outgoing model rang up 60,000 sales in the U.S. alone through the end of September. By comparison, the second most-popular model in the compact luxury segment, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, has generated 39,000 sales.
But Mercedes is bringing a heavily updated version of its own compact to market for 2012, with a sportier look and a clear goal of delivering a more performance-oriented, BMW-like ride.
And it?s not alone. The compact luxury segment is becoming increasingly crowded with new or recent offerings from an array of automakers from Europe, the U.S., Japan and South Korea.
Complicating matters, the market appears to be shifting, according to analyst Joe Phillippi of AutoTrends Consulting.
Even among sporty buyers there?s more interest in mileage. Technology?-- especially onboard infotainment systems?-- is becoming a defining factor as well.
There BMW positioned itself as an early trendsetter, with the launch of the groundbreaking iDrive system. After taking some initial lumps for its quirky user interface, iDrive has become both easier to use and much more capable, with still more features being added on the new 3-Series.
On the safety side, the new 3-Series picks up a variety of technologies that have migrated down from some of the marque?s higher-end products, including Heads-Up Display and Blind Spot Detection, as well as Lane Departure Warning and Collision Avoidance.?
But there?s plenty of new technology under the hood, as well. For one thing, the maker will launch the ActiveHybrid 3, an all-new gas-electric model, late in the 2012 model-year. But even more conventional versions of the new 3-Series will introduce features like Start/Stop -- which automatically shuts the engine down rather than idling at a light or in a fast-food line then restarts the engine when the driver?s foot lifts off the brake.
Meanwhile, the new 3-Series will bring to the U.S. market the first BMW four-cylinder engine in years. Despite migrating from the old car?s 3.0-liter inline-six to a new 2.0-liter inline-four, the new 328i will make 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.
And although it is expected to deliver better mileage?-- final numbers haven?t been released?-- it will still launch from 0 to 60 in just 5.7 seconds and hit an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph.
In keeping with another market trend, the new 3-Series will be larger and more luxurious. The 2012 3-Series body grows about 3.7 inches in length, with the wheelbase stretched just under 2 inches. The front track is 1.5 inches wider, the rear 1.85 inches.
BMW claims that will be particularly obvious to rear-seat passengers, although the trunk is also more capacious.
Notably, BMW engineers were able to trim about 88 pounds off the weight of the typical new 3-Series model, which helped maintain performance while delivering that better mileage.
For those putting a premium on performance, the 2012 BMW 335i will maintain its current single-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six, although it will also gain some efficiencies from the Start/Stop system, as well as a new 8-speed automatic and a system call Brake Energy Regeneration, which is a very mild hybrid system for recapturing some energy normally lost during braking to recharge the car?s battery.
Meanwhile, a replacement for the outgoing M3 -- the true definition of BMW?s performance DNA -- is still in the works.
With a more sporty design, better mileage and improved performance, analysts like Phillippi are betting that the new 3-Series will maintain, if not gain, momentum. It won?t hurt that Mercedes? U.S. sales subsidiary has been knocked off-kilter by the unexpected departure this week of CEO Ernst Lieb. The well-respected Daimler AG veteran had helped move the Mercedes marque steadily more into contention with BMW and Lexus for the lead in the U.S. luxury market. It?s not clear when Mercedes will name a full-time successor but the timing, as the next-gen C-Class debuts, is clearly a setback.
Even if Mercedes? drive falters, BMW still has to keep a wary eye out for the likes of Cadillac, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti and even Hyundai, the Korean marque now intent on becoming a luxury player.
Who makes the best luxury cars?
But the 3-Series has always been a tough act to follow, and the new model wasn?t designed to yield any ground.
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