BMW 3 Series News

BMW has uncovered the big-booted Touring version of the seventh-generation 3 Series mid-sizer, which is scheduled to hit Australian showrooms in October this year.While the sedan body style, launched locally in March, will eventually be available with five powertrains – 320i, 320d, 330i, M340i and 330e – it is expected the Australian line-up for the Touring will mirror the current two-engine (320i and 330i) range.Of note however, the new Touring will be the first 3 Series wagon available with the 185kW/420Nm 330e plug-in hybrid powertrain, though whether the electrified version is brought Down Under is still to be confirmed.European customers will have a choice of three petrol and three diesel engines, mirroring the international sedan line-up.Sharing the same CLAR platform as the latest 3 Series sedan, the Touring stretches 76mm longer than its predecessor at 4709mm, while also being 8mm taller at 1470mm and 16mm wider at 1827mm.Stacked next to the sedan, the Touring features the same wheelbase (2851mm), and has wider front (+43mm) and rear (+21mm) tracks.BMW is also boasting more headroom for all occupants in the Touring, as well as more front-seat shoulder room, while also being 25 percent stiffer and about 10kg lighter than before.The now standard electric tailgate is also wider, which opens to a 500-litre boot, up just 5L, that can be expanded to 1510L (+10L) with the 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats stowed.For convenience, BMW has also carried over the opening rear window for loading small items.Options are expected to include a hands-free opening tailgate, anti-slip floor rails and M Sport suspension.

BMW has confirmed its 3 Series GT won’t be replaced when the current version bites the dust in the next few years. Part of a brand-wide cost-cutting mission to save more than €12 billion in the brand's first quarter 2019 financial report, the 3 Series GT and other engine variants in the brand’s global range will be axed.BMW chairman Harold Krüger confirmed that "there won't be a successor" to the current 3 Series GT in the report.Launched in 2013, the 3 Series GT was meant to combine the styling of a sedan with the practicality of a wagon, and is longer and wider than both regular 3 Series variants for more interior space. Its wheelbase is 110mm longer than the last generation 3 on which it's based.BMW Australia currently offers two variants of the 3 Series GT range - the entry-point 320d ($73,100) and the 330i $(80,000) above it. Both are priced significantly above 3 Series sedan and wagon equivalents. Other cost-cutting measures from BMW include reducing half of the available drivetrains by 2021, as well as reducing complexity of vehicles and shortening the development time for new vehicles by up to a third to enhance speed to market.

BMW Australia has detailed the launch line-up of its crucial new-generation 3 Series mid-sizer that will land in local showrooms in March priced at $67,900 before on-road costs for the oil-burning 320d and $70,900 for the petrol-powered 330i.

The next piece of the BMW 3 Series puzzle has been revealed, with the plug-in hybrid 330e unveiled today.

BMW has whipped the covers off its fastest (for now) 3 Series, with the M340i xDrive variant confirmed for an Los Angeles Motor Show debut ahead of its Australian launch next year.

BMW will launch passenger-facing cameras designed to let your car read your emotions within the next two years, driving headlong into a science-fiction future.

BMW has at last unveiled the car it hopes will take the fight for premium mid-size supremacy to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, with the new 3 Series range revealed at the Paris Motor Show.

BMW'S seventh-generation 3 Series has hit production before its official debut at next month's Paris motor show, with the brand releasing a short video showing the new model's construction.Although little is known about the new premium mid-sizer that will take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4, BMW has already revealed that a variant – likely the mid-spec 330i – will be powered by the brand's most powerful four-cylinder engine yet.Outputs will exceed the current benchmark of 180kW/350Nm found in turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol 330i model, and will likely match the new-generation Z4's 190kW/400Nm engine in mid-tier 30i guise.Also expect to see an entry-level 320i petrol version, which could borrow from the Z4's base 145kW/320Nm to lift outputs by 10kW/50Nm, but it remains unclear if BMW will bring to market another diesel-powered 320d.Likely to once again top the standard 3 Series range – until the hardcore new-generation M3 is revealed down the line – is a 340i, with outputs this time expected to lift 10kW/50Nm to 250kW/500Nm from a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine.Mated to an eight-speed ZF torque converter automatic transmission, the new-gen 3 Series is said to improve fuel efficiency by as much as five per cent, while a petrol particulate filter will also help BMW's volume seller meet Europe's more stringent Worldwide Harmonised Light Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP).Aside from the drivetrain, the new-gen 3 Series will drop its centre of gravity by 10mm and gain perfect 50/50 weight distribution in its bid to be the most driver-focused premium mid-sizer.Weight is also down by around 55kg compared with the current model, while new 'lift-related dampers' are also fitted as standard across the range to reduce noise, vibration and harshness levels.Although current versions of the BMW 3 Series are sourced from South Africa, the new-generation mid-sizer will be sourced from Germany.Full details will be revealed next week at the Paris motor show.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its latest round of safety recalls, with models from Ford, Mazda, BMW, Kia, Audi, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini affected.

BMW Australia has lifted the lid on its refreshed 3 Series ahead of its November arrival.