The sixth 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 ...
consists of the BMW F30 (sedan version), BMW F31 (wagon version, marketed as 'Touring') and BMW F34 (fastback version, marketed as 'Gran Turismo')
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. The F30/F31/F34 generation was produced from October 2011 to 2019 and is often collectively referred to as the F30.
For the sixth generation, the coupé and convertible models were spun off to create the new
BMW 4 Series
The BMW 4 Series is a range of compact executive cars manufactured by BMW since 2013. The 4 Series was created when BMW spun off the 2-door models (coupé and convertible) of the 3 Series into a separate series. The 4 Series is currently in its ...
nameplate. BMW also introduced a separate hatchback model under the 3 Series nameplate called the 3 Series Gran Turismo (F34).
The F30 is the first generation of 3 Series to be powered by a range of
turbocharged
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
engines exclusively and
electric power steering
A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds.
Hydraul ...
(replacing the hydraulic power steering systems used previously). The F30 also marked the 3 Series' first use of a three-cylinder engine in its 2015 facelift. A new
plug-in hybrid
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...
F30 model was also introduced in 2016. A long-wheelbase sedan version (model code F35) was sold in China.
The
M3 model (designated F80) was introduced in 2014 and is powered by the
S55 twin-turbocharged straight-six engine.
In March 2019, the
BMW 3 Series (G20)
The seventh generation of the BMW 3 Series range consists of the BMW G20 (sedan version) and BMW G21 (wagon version, marketed as 'Touring') compact executive cars. The G20/G21 has been in production since mid-October 2018 with a facelift in July ...
was released as the successor to the F30. But the F34 fastback model continued to be available until early 2020. Later, it was replaced by
BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé (G26) in June 2021.
Development and launch
The exterior designer for the F30 sedan was Christopher Weil and exterior designer for the F31 Touring was Michael de Bono.
The F30 was unveiled in Munich on 14 October 2011, with market launch and first customer deliveries on 11 February 2012.
Body styles
File:MA62 PFK (8157616424).jpg, Sedan (F30)
File:2015 BMW 320d Business EfficientDynamics 2.0 Rear.jpg, Wagon (F31)
File:BMW 318d GT Modern Line (F34) – Heckansicht, 31. August 2013, Münster.jpg, Gran Turismo (F34)
File:Long-wheelbase BMW 3 Series (F35), side view.jpg, Long wheelbase sedan (F35)
Sedan (F30)
The F30 sedan debuted at the
2012 Geneva Motor Show in March 2012 and was the first of the sixth generation 3 Series models to go on sale. Early models included the 328i and 335i and (post LCI) later models included the 330i and 340i. The 320i, 318d, and 316d models were added to the F30 range in March 2012. The 320i EfficientDynamics Edition and 316i were added in autumn of 2012.
In the United States, the arrival of the four-cylinder models marked the first time a 3 Series was sold with a four-cylinder petrol engine, since the
E36 318i of the late 1990s. The 328i xDrive and 335i xDrive went on sale in the summer of 2012.
Touring (F31)
The
wagon/estate body style (marketed as "Touring") was unveiled at the 21st Auto Mobil International held at Leipzig in 2012. This body style has a designation of F31, and the launch models consisted of the 328i, 320d and the 330d. The 320i, 316d and 318d models were added in autumn of 2012.
Gran Turismo (F34)
The 5-door
fastback
A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style.
Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as ...
body style has a designation of F34 and is marketed as the 3 Series Gran Turismo, with styling similar to the
5 Series Gran Turismo. Although it features a rear hatchback, the 3 Series GT is not considered a successor to the 1993–2004
3 Series Compact 3-door hatchbacks. The Gran Turismo body style was discontinued for the following generation, the
G20 3 Series as it proved to be unsuccessful in terms of sales.
At , the F34 is longer than the sedan and Touring models. This extra length is partly facilitated by the longer wheelbase shared with the F35
long wheelbase sedan models. The F34 is also taller than the F30/F31. These increased dimensions result in the rear wheels being located further back and lower with respect to the rear seat, and allows for three full-size rear seats.
The F34 version was unveiled at the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show in 2013. At launch, the engine range consisted of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines in straight-4 and straight-6 configurations. All-wheel drive was available in the "i xDrive" and "d xDrive" models. The F34 received a
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 ...
("Life Cycle Impulse") in mid-2016, a year after the facelift was introduced for the other body styles of the F30 generation.
LWB sedan (F35)
A long-wheelbase sedan model having a designation of F35, was produced for the Chinese market.
The wheelbase is increased by to ; this increases rear knee room by
and results in an overall length of . The vehicle was produced in BMW's
Shenyang
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...
production plant, and has chrome trim on the doors to distinguish it from the regular F30 sedans.
The F35 was unveiled at 2012
Auto China
Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Beijing Motor Show or Auto China () is an auto show held biennially in Beijing, China since 1990. China is currently the largest auto market in the world.
2020
The 2020 Auto China show was due to open o ...
in Beijing. Initial models included the 320Li, 328Li and 335Li. Post-facelift (LCI) models consisted of the 316Li, 320Li, 328Li, 328Li xDrive and 335Li.
Exterior styling
The F30/F31 has grown in all dimensions compared to its predecessor. The styling is similar to previous generations with a sweeping bonnet, short front overhang, and long wheelbase. Headlamps now connect to a wide kidney grill. Tail lamps also sport a wide "L" shape design seen in many BMW models.
In some markets, in addition to the base and M Sport models, three 'trim lines' were available for this generation: Modern Line, Sport Line and Luxury Line.
These lines form the base packages upon which extra options could be specified. The Modern Line was discontinued after the 2014 model year, due to low sales.
Luxury Line
File:BMW 3er Touring Luxury Line (F31) – Frontansicht, 7. September 2013, Münster.jpg
File:BMW 320d GT Luxury Line (F34) – Frontansicht, 21. Dezember 2013, Düsseldorf.jpg
File:BMW 328i F30 2012 hl (cropped).jpg
File:BMW 3-Series F35 Li 01 Auto Chongqing 2012-06-07.jpg
Modern Line
File:2012 BMW 328i sedan -- 2012 DC 1.JPG
File:BMW 318d GT Modern Line (F34) – Frontansicht, 31. August 2013, Münster.jpg
File:Long-wheelbase BMW 3 Series (F35), front quarter.jpg
Sport Line
File:BMW 320d Sport Line (F30) – Frontansicht, 26. Februar 2012, Wülfrath.jpg
File:BMW 320d Sport Line (F30) – Heckansicht, 26. Februar 2012, Wülfrath.jpg
File:2014 BMW 328i GT xDrive Sport Line.jpg
M Sport
File:BMW 328i M Sport F30 (13009425734) (cropped).jpg
File:BMW 320d Touring M-Sportpaket (F31) – Heckansicht, 2. Mai 2015, Düsseldorf.jpg
File:2017 BMW 320d M Sport GT Automatic 2.0.jpg
Interior and equipment
![2018 BMW 340i M Sport Shadow 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/2018_BMW_340i_M_Sport_Shadow_3.0_Interior.jpg)
In the sedan models, the rear headroom, leg room and shoulder room increased compared with their E90 predecessors.
Options include heated front seats, split-fold rear seats, satellite navigation and a widescreen display in the centre console. The Bluetooth that's built-in into the car now supports audio streaming. The traditional mechanical shift lever was replaced by a
shift by wire
Shift-by-wire is the system on an automatic transmission in which the transmission modes are engaged/changed in an automobile through electronic controls without any mechanical linkage between the gear shifting lever and the transmission. The tran ...
shifter (first used by BMW in the 2007
E70 X5).
M Performance Parts can be fitted to all models with the M Sport trim. These include sport brakes for 18 inch and higher wheels, side skirt ground effects, black kidney grilles and carbon fibre mirrors.
Engines
![Engine - 2014 BMW 335i xDrive GT (14557464772)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Engine_-_2014_BMW_335i_xDrive_GT_%2814557464772%29.jpg)
The petrol models initially used the turbocharged 4-cylinder
N13, 4-cylinder
N20 and 6-cylinder
N55 engines. This meant that the 328i models (traditionally powered by naturally-aspirated 6-cylinder engines) now used the turbocharged 4-cylinder
N20 engine.
For the 2016 facelift (LCI), the engines were updated to the 3-cylinder
B38, the 4-cylinder
B48 and the 6-cylinder
B58.
The diesel models initially used the 4-cylinder
N47 and 6-cylinder
N57 turbocharged engines. For the 2016 facelift, the 4-cylinder models were updated to the
B47 engine, while the 6-cylinder models retained the N57 engine.
Petrol
Diesel
Hybrid
Transmissions
The available transmissions are:
* 6-speed
Getrag
Getrag (), stylized as GETRAG, was a major supplier of transmission systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The company was founded on 1 May 1935, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, by Hermann Hagenmeyer; as the ''Getriebe und Zahnradfabrik ...
GS6-17BG manual
* 6-speed
ZF GS6-45BZ manual
* 8-speed
ZF 8HP45 automatic
* 8-speed
ZF 8HP50 automatic
* 8-speed
ZF 8HP70 automatic
M3 & M4 Models
The M3 and M4 version
esignated F80 for M3 (sedan) and F82 for M4 (coupe) the first time an M3 has used a separate model code, and the first time an M coupe was designated M4was introduced in 2014. It is powered by the
S55 twin-scroll-turbocharged straight-six engine. Production of the M3 ended in 2020. For the next generation M3/M4 (G80/G82) models released.
Special models
ActiveHybrid 3
![BMW Acitvehybrid3 (F30) rear](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/BMW_Acitvehybrid3_%28F30%29_rear.jpg)
Based on the 335i Sedan, the ActiveHybrid 3 includes a synchronous electric motor, a
lithium-ion battery
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...
positioned underneath the luggage area and a 2-zone climate control system with stationary air conditioning. The electric motor generates of torque. The maximum all-electric driving range is , with a top speed of .
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 was unveiled at the
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...
in January 2012.
The
US EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
rated the 2013 ActiveHybrid 3 with a combined fuel economy of , with in the city, and on the highway.
330e iPerformance
The BMW 330e iPerformance is a
plug-in hybrid
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...
unveiled at the IAA in Frankfurt in September 2015. The first units were registered in Europe by late 2015 and North American sales began in 2016.
The 330e features a four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. The powertrain is rated at a total of and of torque. The United States EPA rated the 2016 BMW 330e energy consumption in all-electric mode
Charge-depleting or EV mode refers to a mode of vehicle operation that is dependent on the
energy from the battery pack. Battery electric vehicles operate solely in this mode. Most plug-in hybrids operate in charge-depleting mode at startup, and ...
at 47 kWh per 100 miles, which translates into a combined city/highway fuel economy of 72 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent
Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPGe or MPGge) is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. MPGe is used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to compare energy consumption of alternative ...
(MPG-e) (3.3 L/100 km petrol equivalent), but only 14 miles all-electric range (Real world electric range under normal driving conditions mix of highway and city in eco mode is approximately 24km). When powered only by the petrol engine, EPA's official combined city/highway fuel economy is .
Alpina version
The Alpina B3 (F30)
The Alpina B3 (F30/F31) and Alpina D3 (F30/F31) are high performance compact executive cars manufactured by German automobile manufacturer, Alpina. Based on the BMW 3 Series (F30), the B3 is available in saloon and wagon body styles. The car was o ...
was based on the F30 3 Series.
Model year changes
2013
* All-wheel drive became available for the wagon body style in the 320i, 328i and 335i models.
2014
* 328d is the first four-cylinder diesel BMW to be sold in the United States. The built in iDrive infotainment system software was also redesigned with new navigation and connectivity features.
2015 Facelift (LCI)
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 ...
("Life Cycle Impulse") versions were released in 2015 for the 2016 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.
...
. Changes include:
* 340i models (using the B58 engine) replace the 335i models (using the N55 engine).
* 330i model (using the B48 engine) replaces the 328i model (using the N20 engine), except for the United States market.
* 320i engine changes to B48 from N20, except for the United States market.
* 318i model (using the 3-cylinder B38 engine) replaces the 316i and 320i (using the 4-cylinder N13 engine) (therefore, for the first time in its 40-year history, the 318i model isn't powered by a 4-cylinder engine).
* B47 engine replaces the N47 engine for the 4-cylinder diesel models.
* ActiveHybrid 3 model discontinued.
* 330e iPerformance plug-in hybrid
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...
model added.
* Revised headlights and tail-lights, with LED replacing Xenon for the headlights.
* Revised shock absorbers and front suspension mounts.
* Revised electronic stability control
Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...
(called "DSC" by BMW).
* Rev-matching (called "engine speed adaption" by BMW) for manual transmissions.
* GPS-based gear selection (called "ConnectedShift" by BMW) for automatic transmissions.
* Bluetooth audio streaming (A2DP) was added as standard equipment to the audio system.
Safety
Euro NCAP
IIHS
NHTSA
ASEAN NCAP
Marketing
The BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics was the most widely used vehicle in the London 2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
due to BMW's official partnership.
Production
Production of F30 generation began with the sedan body style on 28 October 2011. Production ended in 2019 with the end of F31 Touring production in June.
The sedan and wagon models were produced in Germany (Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
and Regensburg
Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...
), South Africa ( Rosslyn, up until 2018), India (Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
), China (Shenyang
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...
) and Brazil (Araquari
Araquari is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.
The municipality of Araquari was basically colonized by Azorean immigrants, who arrived at the coast of Santa Catarina between 1748 and 1756, and since ...
). The Gran Turismo models were produced at the BMW Dingolfing plant in Germany. 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 Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand.
Sales
The following are the sales of the 3 Series, according to BMW's annual reports:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:BMW 3 Series (F30 F31)
F30 F31
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 ...
Cars introduced in 2011
Cars introduced in 2012
Compact executive cars
ASEAN NCAP large family cars
Euro NCAP large family cars
Plug-in hybrid vehicles