Set to debut at the Shanghai Auto
Show later this month, the BMW 3-Series Li has been developed exclusively for
Chinese customers and will be built in the country by BMW Brilliance
Automotive.
BMW was tight-lipped on specifications, but
confirmed the “extra wheelbase length goes towards creating class-leading space
for the rear passengers.” They’ll be
greeted by model-specific features including front and rear comfort seats as
well as a standard panoramic glass roof. Buyers will also find an ambient
lighting system and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
While BMW was coy on numbers, the previous 3-Series
Li had a wheelbase that was stretched by 110 mm. If this continues
to be the case, the 2020 3-Series Li will have a wheelbase of 2,959.1 mm.
Regardless of the size, BMW confirmed the model will
be powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. There’s no word on
specifics, but the US-spec 330i has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that
produces 255 hp and 400 Nm of torque.
The 3-Series Li will be shown alongside the standard
model, but BMW noted the long-wheelbase variant accounts for nearly 80 percent
of 3-Series sales in China. In fact, the country is responsible for about a
third of all 3-Series sales.
