The fifth generation of the
BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
range of
compact executive car
A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the European car classification.
A ...
s is designated under the model codes E90 (saloon), E91 (estate, marketed as 'Touring'), E92 (coupé) and E93 (convertible). The model was introduced in December 2004, and produced by
BMW until October 2013 and is often collectively referred to as the E90 or E9x.
The E9x saw the introduction of
run-flat tyres to the 3 Series range. Models with run-flat tires are not equipped with a spare tyre. The E92 335i was the first 3 Series model produced with a
turbocharged petrol engine. It was also the first 3 Series to include the iDrive operating system, which consists of navigation, infotainment and essential vehicle functions.
The
E90/E92/E93 M3 is the only generation of M3 to be powered by a V8 engine. Introduced in 2007, it uses the
BMW S65 naturally aspirated V8 engine and was produced in saloon, coupé and convertible body styles.
Following the introduction of the
F30/F31 3 Series in February 2012, the E90/E91 saloons and estates were phased out. However, the E92/E93 coupés and convertibles remained in production through the 2013 model year, after which they were replaced by the
F32/F33 4 Series models.
Development and launch
The design for the fifth generation 3 Series was frozen in mid-2002, approximately 30 months before the start of production. The saloon and estate were designed by
Joji Nagashima
Joji Nagashima (born 1955; 永島譲二) is an automobile designer for BMW. Nagashima was born in Tokyo and educated in Japan. He is best known for the exterior designs of the E90 versions of the BMW 3 Series, the E39 version of the BMW 5 Ser ...
.
Marc Michael Markefka designed the coupé and convertible.
The range was introduced in March 2005 for MY2005 with the saloon and estate body styles. The coupé was introduced in 2006 and the convertible was introduced in 2007, both for MY2007.
Significant cosmetic and mechanical changes were done to improve the design and performance compared to the previous generation. The E90 series is larger than its predecessor, with a longer wheelbase, wider tracks, and a roomier interior.
Body styles
File:2005-2008 BMW 325i (E90) sedan 03.jpg, E90 saloon
File:BMW 3er Touring 20090308 rear.jpg, E91 touring
File:2006-2010 BMW 335i (E92) coupe (2011-07-17) 02.jpg, E92 coupé
File:BMW E93 325i Saphirschwarz offen Heck.JPG, E93 convertible
Saloon (E90)
The saloon model was the first model sold of the E90/E91/E92/E93 3 series, being launched on 5 March 2005 for the 2006 model year. Production continued until a facelift revision was made for the 2009 model year. Production of the E90 concluded after the 2011 model year, succeeded by the F30 for 2012.
Touring (E91)
The E91
wagon/estate models were marketed as 'Touring' in Europe and 'Sports Wagon' in the North America. Optional equipment included a panoramic sunroof, which extends to the rear passenger area. Trim levels typically were similar to the E90 saloon, however the M3 wasn't produced in the estate body style.
Several markets outside Europe only offered a small subset of models in the estate body style. In the United States and Canada, the only estate model available prior to 2007 was the 325xi, and then the 328i and 328xi from 2007 onwards.
Coupé (E92)
In July 2006, one year after the saloon was introduced, the E92 coupé body style was unveiled.
Compared with previous generations of the 3 Series, the coupé has more external styling differences to the saloon models. These include the tail-light design (L-shaped on the coupe), more steeply angled headlights and smaller side windows. As per its E46 predecessor, the doors of the coupe are longer and have frameless door windows, the rear seat holds two passengers (compared with a three-person bench for the saloon) with a rear centre console tray and the front seatbelts are on motorised arms that extend from the
B-pillar
The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door Sedan (automobile), sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or Greenhouse (automotive), greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, ...
to hand the seatbelts to the driver and/or passenger.
The E92 was the last generation to include coupé (and convertible) body styles as a part of the 3 Series range. For later generations, these body styles are marketed as the
4 Series. Despite the E90/E91 being phased out for the F30/F31 after the 2011 model year, the E92/E93 continued through the 2013 model year. It was then succeeded by the F32/F33 for the 2014 model year.
Convertible (E93)
The E93 convertible was BMW's first model to use a
retractable hardtop
A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing hardtop, as opposed to the folding textile-based roof used by traditional convertible cars.
The benefits ...
(folding metal roof), instead of the cloth roof as previously used. The E93 was one of first retractable hardtops in its price range. The "Comfort Access" option allows the roof to be raised and lowered using the
key fob
A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or b ...
. The E93's side windows are 30 percent larger than its E46 convertible predecessor, resulting in a 38 percent increase in visibility.
The BMW 3 Series convertible was often priced higher than direct rivals, however reviewers have praised its passenger/boot space (even with the roof down), driving dynamics, weight and chassis rigidity.
Engines
Petrol
Official specifications are as follows:
Since the following generation of 3 Series used turbocharged engines for the entire model range, the E90/E91/E92/E93 was the last 3 Series to be available with
naturally aspirated engines.
In North American, Australian and Malaysian markets the N53 was not used, Instead the entire model range continued to use its predecessor, the
N52 engine.
In some areas of the United States, the 328i was powered by the
BMW N51 straight-six engine and sold as a
SULEV
Super ultra-low emissions vehicle (SULEV) is a U.S. classification for passenger vehicle emissions. The classification is based on producing 90% fewer emissions than the average gasoline-powered vehicle. The SULEV standard is stricter than the stan ...
model.
In some parts of the world, 4-cylinder models continued to use the N46 engine as the local fuel quality is incompatible with the N43 engine.
Diesel
Suspension
At the front,
MacPherson struts
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
with an aluminum hub carrier and aluminum dual lower links forming a virtual pivot point are used. This design was previously used on all 5, 7 and 8 series BMW models.
The rear suspension is a 5-link
Multi-link suspension
A multi-link suspension is a type of vehicle suspension with one or more longitudinal arms. A wider definition can consider any independent suspensions having three control links or more multi-link suspensions. These arms do not have to be of e ...
, with fabricated steel subframe, fabricated steel control arms, and cast iron carrier. This design is designated "HA 5" by BMW.
Wheels
The BMW E90+ has a 5x120 bolt pattern with
wheel sizes ranging from 16 inch to 20 inch in diameter. There have been 49 original wheel styles produced for this model.
Equipment
Optional features (some of which are standard on higher models) include Xenon headlamps, automatic climate control,
parking sensors
Parking sensors are proximity sensors for road vehicles designed to alert the driver of obstacles while parking. These systems use either electromagnetic or ultrasonic sensors.
Ultrasonic systems
These systems feature ultrasonic proximity de ...
, power-adjustable seats, satellite navigation, glass sunroof, heated front seats, Bluetooth and USB audio input.
Optional equipment could be ordered individually or combined into packages. Optional interior colours, known as BMW Individual, were also available at extra cost.
The contents of the 'Premium Package' varies according to model year and market. It included items such as leather seats with power adjustments, memory seat function, lumbar support, auto-dimming mirrors, a digital compass, auto-folding exterior mirrors, BMW Assist w/Bluetooth, and universal garage opener.
The 'Cold Weather Package' includes headlight washers, heated front seats and split/folding rear seats with a ski bag.
The 'Sports Package' includes a leather 3-prong sports steering wheel, sports front seats, 18-inch wheels, sports suspension and an increase in the speed limiter to .
The 'Technology Package' includes iDrive, navigation, keyless entry ("Comfort Access"), selectable driving modes ("M Drive"), HD radio and Electronic Damping Control.
The 'Performance Power Kit' (PPK) was introduced for the 335i and was available for installation at BMW dealerships, it included a tune that boosted engine output for the 335i to & for automatics transmission vehicles and for manual transmission vehicles, an overall gain of & , BMW claim their engineers have tested and designed these Performance Power Kits in such a way that equipped vehicles would not sacrifice reliability or fuel consumption, the result was a claimed 0.2 second decrease in 0 to times,
the kit was available for both N54 & N55 335i vehicles,
it was easily verified if a vehicle was equipped with the PPK as during installation stickers that read "BMW Performance Power Kit" were placed near the air intake on all equipped vehicles,
the N55 equipped 335i vehicles also featured added exhaust burbles included as part of the PPK tune, also included in the PPK was the addition of an extra radiator, higher performance fans on the main radiator and better air flow ducts in attempt to deal with any extra heat caused by the tuning.
M3 model
The M3 model was powered by the
BMW S65 V8 engine and produced in saloon, coupe and convertible body styles.
Alpina models
The Alpina B3 and D3 models were based on the E90/E91/E92/E93. The B3 was powered by turbocharged 6-cylinder petrol engine and the D3 was powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel engine.
Special Editions
320si
To satisfy
homologation requirements for the
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backs ...
World Touring Car Championship
The FIA World Touring Car Championship was an international touring car championship promoted by Eurosport Events and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It has had several different incarnations, including a sin ...
(WTCC), BMW built 2600 units of the 320si. The car featured
N45 (N45B20S) engine producing , 24bhp more than the regular 320i. It also featured revised suspension and 20% lower front bumper.
335is
The 335is was produced in coupé and convertible models for the North American market. Its position in the model lineup was between the regular 335i and the M3, and approximately 4,500 units were produced. The 335is uses a higher performance version of the
N54 engine, which increases boost from . This results in and of torque, plus an overboost function raises torque to for up to 7 seconds.
Transmission options were a 7-speed
double clutch transmission (DCT) with launch control or a 6-speed manual transmission. The manual transmission has an upgraded clutch compared to the regular 335i.
Other changes compared to the 335i include stiffer engine mounts, a higher-flow exhaust system, an upgraded cooling system, a different steering wheel, sport seats and "335is" badging on dash and in the instrument cluster.
Exterior differences are larger air openings in the front bumper, a rear bumper that incorporates a diffuser-style piece, black kidney grills, and 18-inch or 19-inch "Style 313" wheels.
Model year changes
2008 Facelift (LCI)
In September 2008, the
facelift
A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy (from the Ancient Greek () "wrinkle", and () "excision", the surgical removal of wrinkles), is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful facial appearance. There are mul ...
(LCI) versions of the saloon and estate were released for the 2009
model year
The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured.
...
. Compared to typically subtle BMW LCI changes, these changes were relatively extensive.
Mechanical changes included an increase in rear track of for some models, a power increase for the 320d from and the
N57 engine replacing the
M57 for the 330d model.
Styling changes included front and rear bumpers, wing mirrors, headlights, taillights, boot lid, wider kidney grilles and revised crease lines for the bonnet.
The new 2009 – 2011 facelift (LCI) AWD models became known as "xDrive" models, unlike the previous 2006–2008 (pre-lci) AWD models, which were labeled as "xi" models. The new
xDrive
BMW xDrive is the marketing name for the all-wheel drive system found on various BMW models since 2003. The system uses an electronically-actuated clutch-pack differential to vary the torque between the front and rear axles. Models with the DPC t ...
models received xDrive badges on the bumper and both the right and left sides right below the side marker lamps.
For the interior, crash-activated head restraints were added to the front seats, the optional "Professional" navigation system was updated, iDrive was updated and the resolution of the display was increased.
File:BMW_320i_(E90)_Facelift_front_20100410.jpg, E90 saloon (facelift)
File:BMW_320i_(E90)_Facelift_rear_20100410.jpg, E90 saloon (facelift)
File:2010 BMW 323i (E91 MY10.5) Lifestyle Touring station wagon (2015-07-03) 02.jpg, E91 Touring (facelift)
File:BMW 320i M Coupe 2013 (16233870112).jpg, E92 coupe (facelift)
File:2014 BMW 325i (E93 MY13.5) High-line convertible (2015-07-03) 02.jpg, E93 convertible (facelift)
2010
For the 2010 model year, the Sport, Lifestyle and Exclusive Edition were introduced for saloon and estate models. The 316d estate model was added, as was the 320d EfficientDynamics Edition saloon.
Mechanical changes included compliance with the EU5 emission standard, EU6 emission compliance (optional) for the 320d and 330d models, power increases for the 318d, 320d, 325d and 330d models, the
N54 engine in the 335i being replaced by
N55 engine, and additional features for BMW ConnectedDrive.
Safety
The Euro NCAP noted the poor pedestrian protection awarding 4 points out of 36, reporting the 3 Series was "very disappointing" in this measure.
IIHS
The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurance companies, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic collisio ...
(IIHS) gives the 3 Series a "Good" overall rating in both the frontal and side impact crash tests. The 3 Series received "Good" marks in all six of the frontal crash test categories, and "Good" marks in six of the nine categories in the side impact test. The IIHS also gave the 3 Series the ''Top Safety Pick'' award. The convertible is rated "Marginal" in side impacts, making the 3 Series convertible the lowest rated vehicle currently sold in its class in IIHS tests.
Recalls
In November 2017, BMW recalled 672,000 3 Series cars from model years 2006–11 with climate control system electronic components at risk of overheating, due to faulty blower motor wiring.
Production
In 2002,
Norbert Reithofer
Norbert Reithofer (born 29 May 1956 in Penzberg, West Germany) is a German businessman and former chairman of the board of management (CEO) of BMW. He currently serves as chairman of the supervisory board.
Early life and education
After finis ...
and Development Chief Burkhard Goeschel started an initiative to halve the time it took to reach full production of the next generation 3 Series from six months to three.
The E90 was produced in Germany (
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
,
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
and
Regensburg) and in South Africa (
Rosslyn). Local assembly of
complete knock-down
A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, then exported to another country or region ...
(CKD) kits was used for cars sold in China, Egypt, India,
Indonesia, Malaysia,
Mexico, Thailand and Russia.
The production dates for each body style are as follows:
* Saloon (E90): December 2004 – October 2011
* Estate (E91): September 2005 – May 2012
* Coupé (E92): June 2006 – June 2013
* Convertible (E93): December 2006 – October 2013
Sales
First marketed in March 2005, the car quickly became BMW Group's best-selling car worldwide, and by the end of the year 229,900 vehicles had been delivered.
The BMW E90 series was the best-selling luxury car in Canada and the United States. The 2006 E90 marked the 15th consecutive year that the 3 Series was named on
Car and Driver's 10Best.
Units sold according to BMW's annual reports:
Motorsports
BMW WTCC works driver
Andy Priaulx
Andrew Graham Priaulx, MBE ( born 8 August 1974) is a British professional racing driver from Guernsey. In 2019 he raced for Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and Cyan Racing Lynk & Co in the FIA World Tou ...
won the 2006 and 2007
World Touring Car Championship
The FIA World Touring Car Championship was an international touring car championship promoted by Eurosport Events and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It has had several different incarnations, including a sin ...
s in the 320si E90, and four other drivers achieved over 35 wins in the championship.
The E90 320si was used by several teams in the
British Touring Car Championship
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed as ...
(BTCC). The 2009 BTCC Drivers Championship was won by
Colin Turkington
Colin Henry Turkington (born 21 March 1982) is a British racing driver from Northern Ireland who competes in the British Touring Car Championship for Team BMW. He is a 4 time BTCC champion, winning the title in 2009, 2014, 2018 and 2019, havi ...
using the E90 320si.
The E92 Art Car entered the
2010 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 78th 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: ''78e 24 Heures du Mans'') was a non-championship 24-hour automobile endurance race for Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Grand Touring (GT) cars held from 12 to 13 June 2010 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, near L ...
race, with Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) driving the number 78 car which failed to complete the race.
Awards
*
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Awards'' named the E90 as the "''Ugliest Car of the Year 2005''", describing it as "just 14 foot of car".
*In April 2006, the E90 was awarded the ''
'' title. The car was praised for its balance between performance and practicality, as well as between style and seriousness. The jury also praised the new diesel engines and the all-wheel-drive variants.
eight consecutive times between 2006 and 2013.
* The E90 was named "''Best New Sports Sedan''" in the 2006 ''
2006''. From 2006 to 2011, they also awarded it ''Compact Executive of the Year''.
*In April 2011, the E90 335d saloon won th
award, an honour bestowed by The Diesel Driver magazine's readers, receiving 29,6% of the vote.
* The British motoring magazine ''
'' awarded the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Auto the Overall Winner Green Car of the Year 2012. The 320d model has a UK combined fuel economy of 56 mpg and emissions of 110g/km.