2019 BMW 3-series Spied!
What It Is: The BMW 3-series gets completely redesigned for the 2019 model year, and these images are our clearest look yet at what we can expect from the all-new compact luxury sedan.
Like its bigger 5- and 7-series stablemates, the new 3-series features large headlights that appear to merge into the brand’s classic kidney grille design. That grille will employ shutters that open and close at higher speeds in order to improve aerodynamics and fuel economy. Meanwhile, the 3’s body sides will include a handful of character lines that sweep across the car’s four doors. Expect the front fenders to house a pair of functional vents that mimic those on other BMW models.
Change also is afoot inside the new 3-series, which appears to usher in a new iDrive control knob, new center console buttons, and model-specific seats. As in other recent BMWs, the new 3 will have a center stack that’s curved toward the driver, and it will offer an optional digital gauge cluster and the latest iDrive software, which will include a touchscreen that works in conjunction with the console-mounted control knob.
Why it Matters: Traditionally BMW’s best-selling model, the 3-series is key to the company’s financial success, even as the market focus shifts to crossover SUVs. More importantly, the new 3-series will set the tone for BMW’s future as an enthusiast marque. While the 5- and 7-series have lost the inherent behind-the-wheel joy of BMW’s past, we’re hopeful that the new 3-series will bring BMW back to its dynamic roots, which were established by four generations of 10Best winners.
Platform: The 2019 BMW 3-series will ride on the brand’s new “cluster architecture” platform, dubbed CLAR. (That platform also underpins the 5-series, the 7-series, the new 6-series Gran Turismo, and the new X3.) Expect the new car to weigh slightly less than its predecessor, but ride on a marginally longer wheelbase and cast a larger overall shadow. Engines will continue to be longitudinally oriented and the plug-in model’s battery pack is expected to be unobtrusively mounted underfloor.
Powertrain: The 3-series’ four-cylinder gas engines are said to carry over to the new car unchanged, plus or minus a few horsepower. Base models likely will continue to bear the 320i badge and rely on a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with about 180 horsepower, while 330i models will pack around 250 ponies. Rear-wheel-drive will be standard, with optional all-wheel-drive models getting the usual xDrive badge. The six-cylinder 340i may give way to a harder-edged M340i M Performance model with approximately 350 horses that will allow the 3-series to properly battle the Audi S4 and the Mercedes-AMG C43. The plug-in hybrid 330e is expected to see upgrades that will improve upon the current model’s paltry 14-mile all-electric EPA driving range. Additionally, BMW is expected to introduce a fully electric version of the new 3-series. The model will be aimed directly at the Tesla Model 3, and it should have over 200 miles of range.
All 2019 3-series trim levels will use an eight-speed automatic transmission; it’s possible that the manual transmission may not make it to America. Across the pond, BMW is poised to offer a 3-series motivated by the Mini Cooper’s turbocharged three-cylinder engine. We don’t expect to see this engine under the hoods of U.S.-bound 3-series models.
Competition: Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-class, Jaguar XE, Infiniti Q50.
Estimated Arrival and Price: Look for the 2019 BMW 3-series to arrive in the middle of 2018 as a 2019 model-year vehicle after debuting at the Frankfurt auto show this September. Pricing should stay close to today’s cars, with four-cylinder models starting in the mid-$30,000 range, the plug-in hybrid adding another $5000 or so to the ticket, and the six-cylinder versions pushing well past $50,000.
