5:11 pm, October 18, 2011
BMW has released pictures and details of its eagerly awaited sixth-generation 3 Series, priced from £24,100.
Hitting showrooms on February 11, 2012, the brand new 3 Series will more comfortable, more luxurious and more spacious than the outgoing model.
Four engines will be on offer from launch ranging from the 320d and 320d EfficientDynamics – which emits 109 g/km of CO2 – right up to the 328i and 335i. March will see the addition of a 316d, 318d and a 320i.
The new car will be available in three trims – ES, SE and M Sport – and, following on from the new 1 Series, a ‘Lines’ range of trims will be available too. ‘Sport’, ‘Modern’ and ‘Luxury’ will take the complete trim range to six – the largest ever for the 3.
ES will only be available on the 316d and will include 17-inch alloy, automatic air-conditioning, Bluetooth, iDrive and a 6.5-inch colour screen, keyless start, cruise control, USB, a multi-function leather steering wheel, and automatic boot opening.
The range tops out with M Sport which will give customers lowered and stiffened sports suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels and sports styling.
However, the 3’s range will also grow towards the end of the 2012 with the addition of four-wheel-drive and hybrid versions.
xDrive makes its first appearance in the UK and the ActiveHybrid 3 will arrive at roughly the same time. It will mate the 335i’s 306bhp six-cylinder engine with an up to 40kW electric motor.
