The new generation of the car that defines the BMW brand - the 3 Series - will arrive in Ireland next Spring. Prices are to be announced next week.
It's been around since 1975 but the BMW remains the iconic car that determines BMW and its DNA, both in terms of engineering and styling. Not that the styling is going to be all the revolutionary this time around - it never is. A bit like VW's Golf, you don't tweak too much of something that sells on the basis of instant identity and timelessness.
The profile is slightly softer but there is no mistaking the 3 Series lineage.
So, the 3 Series gets the same underpinnings as the 5 Series and the profile is slightly softer but you won't mistake it for anything other than a 3 Series. The new car is slightly bigger, longer and wider than the car it replaces but its dimensions are not dramatically altered and it is still not quite as big as its arch competitor, the Audi A4. The boot, however, has been expanded.
It's not slated to arrive here until next March and prices will be confirmed next week. You can expect to see one petrol version - the 330 i - and two diesels. These will be the entry level four-cylinder 2.0 litre with 187 horse power and a six-cylinder version with 263 horse power, which will come later. The 2.0 litre has a 0 to 100 KPH time of 7.3 seconds. A plug-in hybrid version with the 3.0 litre engine is also in the pipeline, as is an estate version.
The interior has been improved, following criticism of the previous car.
The interior has been given a significant makeover following criticism of the finish in the older model, criticism BMW has recognised. You can expect to see a better screen, nicer quality touches and even more connectivity.
All cars in the range are expected to get collision warning and pedestrian warning systems and auto braking. Hydraulic bump stops to enable the car to quickly adapt to and recover from bumps are also standard.
We'll have full
