SPIED: G20 BMW 3 Series M Sport – first appearance!

SPIED: G20 BMW 3 Series M Sport – first appearance!

The upcoming G20 BMW 3 Series has just been spotted once again by our spy photographers, and going by the state of progress the Bavarian giant is making, the next-generation model looks to be on course for a world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October.

This time around, more camouflage has been peeled off, and it appears that one of the two units seen here is of the M Sport variant. It’s the first time we’ve laid eyes on the sportier version, and it wears a more aggressive front bumper with horizontal LED units placed above the side air ducts, much like that seen on the G30 530i M Sport. Even the multi-spoke alloys look as though it came from the 5-er.

On the whole, the G20 may have similar proportions as the F30, but expect improvements to be made with regards to interior accommodation. Speaking of which, the cockpit also appears to be modelled after the G30 5 Series, and higher-specced variants will get a digital instrument cluster (a first for the model). Elsewhere, the G20 gets slimmer air vents, redesigned switchgear and large new displays for the infotainment system.

Externally, the front fascia sports a larger double kidney grille flanked by more modern-looking headlights. Both versions here feature LED technology and three-dimensional hexagonal corona rings, and the back sees a pair of L-shaped LED tail lights.

The new 3 Series will ride on BMW’s modular Cluster Architecture (CLAR), so expect a lighter car despite an increase in size. The platform will not use carbon-fibre like on the G12 7 Series, but instead incorporate other lightweight materials such as aluminium, much like the G30 and the G01 X3.

For engines, expect the usual three-, four- and six-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, including the revised motors already seen on the facelifted 2 Series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer. Also expected is a plug-in hybrid (like the current 330e) as well as a fully-electric variant that employs the same powertrain as the X3 EV – the SUV is rumoured to debut in 2020.

Crowning the model range is of course the high-performance G80 M3. It will get the new S58 3.0 litre twin-turbo straight-six that will also be used in the X3 and X4 M, with output set to jump by 10% to 465 hp. Expect the M3 to get an eight-speed torque converter automatic instead of the outgoing seven-speed dual-clutch unit, mirroring a similar switch BMW made with the F90 M5.

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • Digidigi on Feb 26, 2018 at 6:33 pm

    This model will again become the benchmark in this segment with current c class start ageing.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 2
    • Omar Merican on Feb 26, 2018 at 7:28 pm

      Hopefully BMW Malaysia give us cheaper 3 series. Last time, Gomen gave BMW Malaysia EEV discounts, BMW Malaysia cleverly raised up their prices so that the discounted EEV prices was the same as the old non discounted EEV prices.

      BMW Malaysia must be honest like Mercedes. Gomen gave them EEV discounts, Mercedes Malaysia MBM reduced prices of the C class by RM30k

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 38 Thumb down 5
  • Sonyman on Feb 26, 2018 at 7:10 pm

    So fast G generation already. I haven’t ow my e90 yet.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 0
  • Looking at g20 it does not have quantum leap change like mesidis w204 vs w205….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 5
  • Hope g20 will bring drastic change in design…current design is boring and fast ageing…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 3
  • smaller g30, thats it..e90’s are slowly getting extinct as the cost to keep them running has exceeded value.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • Shut up and take my money!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 3
  • seancorr (Member) on Feb 26, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    Centre stack air vents are new and so is the centre console and what looks like a diff infotainment system in the middle. Looks promising by the looks of it.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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