Here are the first official photos and details with the 2013 BMW 3 Series sedan which arrived at the 6th generation and is the world’s best selling premium car.
Just like the new 5 Series, this latest generation 3 series looks more mature when compared to the previous version, with the most striking new feature in terms of design being at the front where the car adopted the new BMW face with flat headlights that stretch as far as the grille.
Despite the fact that it weight 40 Kg less, the 2013 BMW 3 Series is now bigger than the outgoing model (front + 37 mm, rear + 47 mm, length + 93 mm, wheelbase + 50 mm), with the main benefit felt by the rear passengers who now have more leg room.
The new 3 Series will be available in three equipment grades called Sport Line, Luxury Line and Modern Line with four engine choices that will include two revised diesels, a 6-cylinder petrol and a new turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol that will be fitted on the 328i.
All these engines feature the TwinPower Turbo technology and will be linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard but can also be combined with an 8-speed automatic gearbox, which according to BMW is a world’s first for a premium mid-size sedan.
The 2013 BMW 3 Series is available with the EfficientDynamics technology line-up, which means it can have Auto Start-Stop , Brake Energy Regeneration and Optimum Shift Indicator plus it can also be equipped with the new Driving Experience Control switch through which the driver can choose between the Comfort, Sport, Sport + and ECO PRO.
In the ECO PRO mode the car can achieve increased efficiency figures, as high as 4.1-litres per 100 Km (68.9 mpg) in terms of consumption, with CO2 emission levels of 109 g/Km on the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Edition version that packs 163 HP (120 kW).
Apart from the version mention above the other 2013 BMW 3 Series variants included the 320d rated at 184 HP/380 Nm, the 328i which produces 245 HP/350 Nm and the 335i capable of developing 306 HP and 400 Nm of torque.
The 320d takes 7.5 seconds to reach 100 Km/h and emits 119 grammes of CO2 per Km. The 328i reaches 100 Km from a stand still in 5.9 seconds (CO2 levels of 149 g/Km) while the 335i is even quicker with 5.5 seconds needed to reach the 100 kmph mark. Emission figures for the 335i are 186 g/Km.
A second new arrival in the premium mid-size segment is represented by the Full-colour Head-Up Display which is part of BMW’s ConnectedDrive and can be ordered together with the Surround View system that gives a bird’s-eye perspective of the vehicle and the area around it.
Pricing for the 2013 BMW 3 starts at 29,060 GBP in the UK and ranges from 35,350 Euro to 43,600 Euro in Germany.
| Model | Price OTR from |
Power Hp |
Torque Nm |
0 – 62mph Seconds | Top speed Mph |
Combined Mpg | CO2 Emissions g/km | |
| BMW 328i Saloon | £29,060 | 245 | 350 | 5.9 (6.1) | 155* | 44.1 (44.8) | 149 (147) | |
| BMW 335i Saloon | £35,525 | 306 | 400 | 5.5 (5.5) | 155* | 35.8 (39.2) | 186 (169) | |
| BMW 320d Saloon | £28,080 | 184 | 380 | 7.5 (7.6) | 146 (143) | 62.8 (64.2) | 120 (118) | |
| BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon |
£28,080 | 163 | 380 | 8.0 (8.1) | 143 (141) | 68.9 (68.9) | 109 (109) | |
PS: BMW is taking a long time publishing the official photos on their press site. Once they become available you will find them on here along with the first video featuring the new 3 Series.
Update : hi-res photo gallery added. The official videos will be uploaded in a separate post.
