BMW has released the first details about the 2019
3-Series. Expected to debut at the Paris Motor Show, the redesigned sedan
promises to be sportier than ever as the automaker says the car’s center of
gravity has been lowered by 10mm. The car also weighs up 55 kg less than its predecessor.
The upgrades don’t stop there as engineers
“significantly enhanced” rigidity levels and kept the car’s weight distribution
at a perfect 50:50. BMW went on to say agility and steering precision has been
improved thanks to a wider track and new axles.
The 3-Series is renowned for its handling and
engineers have paid special attention to the car’s suspension. As part of this effort, they developed an
innovative damping system which uses “lift-related dampers.” BMW says they operate “continuously and
progressively in relation to the respective spring travel” and this allows road
imperfections to be neutralized “gently and precisely.”
While the standard suspension aims to strike a
balance between sporty and comfortable, the M Sport Suspension definitely
favors the former. Cars equipped with
the sport suspension will have a 10 mm reduced ride height and
18-inch lightweight wheels with mixed tires.
According to BMW’s Head of Driving Dynamics, Peter
Langen, the damping forces on the M Sport Suspension are approximately 20
higher than those on the standard suspension and this means the difference is
“much more perceptible than before.” He
went on to say the M suspension is now “much sportier, with more rigid bearings
and stabilizers, harder springs and additional body struts.”
Cars outfitted with the M Sport Suspension will only
be available with the Variable Sports Steering system. BMW says the latter has been “specially reconfigured”
for the redesigned sedan and will provide “much greater precision to slight
steering movements, without seeming nervous in central position.”
Other performance features include an M sports
differential with an electronically controlled locking function that is linked
to the Dynamic Stability Control system.
BMW says this allows the differential to preemptively influence both
understeering and oversteering without brake intervention.
BMW was tight-lipped about performance
specifications, but confirmed the 3-Series will be offered with a “thoroughly
revised” four-cylinder petrol engine.
The engine will be the most powerful four-cylinder ever fitted in a
production BMW and it will be approximately five percent more fuel-efficient
than its predecessor. Part of this
increased efficiency is due to the car’s improved eight-speed automatic
transmission.
Speaking of eco-friendliness, the engine will come
equipped with a particulate filter. BMW
says this, along with other changes, will allow the engine to meet Euro 6d-TEMP
standards.
