New Details On 2013 (F30) BMW 3-Series
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Due in late 2012, or thereabouts, the next generation of the BMW 3-Series is being hotly anticipated, both in M Division trim and in its more ordinary guises. The latest details out of Germany give us some idea of what to expect, and it includes four-cylinders and hybrids.
Yes, hybrids. According to the German-language site Auto Bild, the 2013 3-Series, code named F30, will sport not only the usual complement of six-cylinders and the coming four-cylinder turbo found in the Z4 sDrive28i, but also an electric motor-assisted version.
The electric motor assist is said to aid both performance and fuel economy, though to what degree it affects either is still unstated, but it should share much of its design with the hybrid system found in the ActiveHybrid7, meaning an improvement in fuel economy of about 15 percent, thanks in part to the integrated stop-start. Though it's not paired with the 7er's twin-turbo V-8, the 3-series version should still be worthy of the BMW badge if coupled with the turbo inline six. In ActiveHybrid7 guise, the hybrid system generates 20 horsepower, but more importantly, 155 pound-feet of torque.
The hybrid won't be joining the party until sometime after the launch of the standard gasoline- and diesel-powered models. Here in the U.S., we can expect a turbocharged six-cylinder for 335i models, a turbodiesel for the 335d, and a turbocharged four-cylinder for the 328i. It's not clear if BMW will carry forward a naturally-aspirated six-cylinder, though if it does, it will likely be badged as a 330i. Power outputs for all of the conventional engines should be very close to their current levels.
All-wheel drive will still be on the table for automatic-equipped cars, while manual transmission cars will stick with rear-wheel drive.
Looking even farther down the road, and across the Atlantic, a three-cylinder model could be in the works. Almost certainly aided by turbocharging, the small-displacement engine could seriously kick up the 3er's fuel economy, though it might still not have enough pep to make it viable in the U.S.
For more details on the upcoming 2013 3-Series, click here.
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