The 2019 BMW 3 Series made its world debut at the Paris Motor Show 2018. The seventh generation of the globally acclaimed luxury sports sedan gets an all-new design, a raft of new technologies and new petrol and diesel engines. Here's how it differs from its predecessor.
Exterior
The 2019 BMW 3 Series sports an all-new design that makes the new model look bolder and more sophisticated. The highlight of the front-end is an edgier bumper and a more upright, single-piece iteration of the kidney grille, which, along with the sharper dual-barrel LED headlamps, imparts a slightly aggressive touch to the front fascia.
In a traditional fashion, the mid-size sedan has a long hood. The bold shoulder line runs above the door handles and is mostly parallel to the window line. At the rear, there are sleeker, L-shaped LED tail lights inspired by the all-new BMW 8 Series.
Specifications
Initially, the 2019 BMW 3 Series will go on sale in the 320i, 330i, 318d, 320d, 320d xDrive and 330d variants. The 320i and the 330i will feature the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission but in varying states of tune. For the 330i, the motor will output 258 PS and 400 PS, and for the 320i, it will be 184 PS and 300 Nm.
The 318d, 320d, and 320d xDrive will feature a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission. In the 318d, the motor will output 150 PS and 320 Nm. In the 320d and the 320d xDrive, it will develop 190 PS and 400 Nm. BMW will offer a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine in the 330d. This engine will produce 265 PS and 580 Nm and will be mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Next year, the company will introduce two more variants: 330e and M340i xDrive
The 330e will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain comprising an electric motor and a petrol engine that deliver a combined output of 252 PS (292 PS with XtraBoost mode). It will have an all-electric range of 60 km (provisional figure). The M340i xDrive will be the performance-focused version that will be powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine producing 374 PS and 500 Nm of torque. While the xDrive variants feature an AWD system, other models have a RWD drivetrain layout.
Interior
The interior is entirely new, but just like the exterior, is evolutionary. The redesigned model offers an even more driver-focused cockpit with a modern (12.3-inch) virtual instrument cluster, closer positioning of the (10.25-inch) central display, a less cluttered centre console and an all-new head-up display that offers a 70% larger projection area, enhanced graphics and additional readings.
Passenger-focused improvements include easier ingress and egress for the rear-seat passengers, newly designed seats that offer greater long-distance comfort, increased shoulder room in the front of the cabin, more legroom for the rear-seat passengers, more headroom (for all occupants) and a 100 mm increment in the glass roof's transparent surface area to let more natural light in.
The 2019 BMW 3 Series will have its launch in Europe on 9 March, 2019. In India, the local testing has just commenced, and the launch could take place a few months after the European launch.
