BMW continues to embrace
electrification as the company has announced a number of models will be
equipped with a mild hybrid system as part of their spring update for the
European market, we could see them arriving in other regions outside
the U.S. too. The mild hybrid
system will become standard equipment on the 320d / 320d xDrive Sedan, 320d /
320d xDrive Touring, X3 xDrive20d and X4 xDrive20d.
The mild hybrid system
features a 48-volt starter-generator and an additional battery. It helps to
improve fuel efficiency as the engine can be shut off when decelerating at
speeds of less than 15 km/h. Besides increasing fuel efficiency, the
starter-generator can act as an electric motor and contribute an additional 11
hp to help improve off the line acceleration.
In March, BMW will
offer a 120d that features a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder diesel
engine that develops 188 hp. The engine will be connected to
an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels.
This setup will enable the hatchback to run from 0-100 km/h in 7.3
seconds, before hitting a top speed of 231 km/h.
Likewise, the 3-Series Sedan
and Touring will gain a new 318i variant with a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo
four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 154 hp and 250 Nm of torque. This allows the entry-level sedan to hit 100
km in 8.4 seconds and top out at 223 km/h. The wagon is slightly
slower as the dash to 100 km takes 8.7 seconds and the top speed is 220 km/h.
Rounding out the updates are
newly standard automatic soft-closing doors on the 7- and 8-Series as well as
the latter’s M variants. The X5, X6 and X7 will also be offered with new trim
and upholstery combinations.
