BMW will start offering 3-cylinder engines within the next two years in the all new 3-Series range to follow in the footsteps of Volkswagen which have successfully employed small capacity engines with mid sized sedans, MPV’s and SUV.s. This was confirmed by Peter Nefischer, BMW’s head of engine development. BMW is working on three-cylinder engines throughout the range and that they could be available on the 3 Series within a couple of years. Nefischer said that engine technology has nearly reached its full extent with the present standard internal combustion engines. He added that smaller units would be the next step. He said that “downsizing will go further, with smaller, more powerful engines.”
Turbochargers will be integrated with these smaller engines so that their power could be raised and would be enough for a car that’s as big as the 3 Series. Any three-cylinder unit would not be the same as the one that will be used for the upcoming BMW i8 hybrid supercar. The new three-cylinder 3 Series models aren’t likely to get an electric motor for additional power since BMW intends to keep the majority of its hybrid projects to six-cylinder petrol models.
