They’re only going to get bigger, really.
German carmaker BMW is set to renew one of its most important models, the 3-Series compact executive saloon, and so they’ve got their hype machines up and running. The latest hype-building move has seen the circulation of a teaser image, which shows the car off beneath a rather thin sheet, revealing quite a number of important details.
The most inescapable design note, we think, is that grille. BMW’s signature kidney grille is now wider and larger than it’s ever been, and while it’s connected to the headlights like in the majority of new BMWs, they’re also connected in the middle. That’s a relatively new trait, something that first debuted on the 8-Series grand-tourer.
Further, the LED headlights themselves now feature a new kind of daytime running light design which seems to have ditched the ‘Corona ring’ aesthetic for good. Looking more L-shaped than circular, we’re made to understand that the LED daytime running lights take on some kind of 3D-effect which we cannot really see while it’s shrouded, but we’ll take that suggestion at face value.
Another interesting note is the colour of the grille. Unless we’re mistaken that looks very much like Cerium Grey rather than some kind of chrome, suggesting that the debut model for the new 3er range will be an M-Sport model, like an M340i. An M340i would most likely utilise the same 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-6 motor as other ‘40i’ siblings, with a power output between 253kW and 268kW.
The new 3-Series will sit on BMW’s new CLAR platform, which underpins the larger 5-Series saloon and 7-Series limousine. However in the 3er, BMW has utilised more aluminium, magnesium and high-strength steel to bring weight down by as much as 55kg.
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