Home New Car Launches BMW Malaysia Unveils New 3-Series

BMW Malaysia Unveils New 3-Series

New Car Launches

by ys khong - Nov 21, 2008

Kuala Lumpur, 20th November 2008 – BMW Malaysia today launched the latest model of the BMW 3 Series, asserting that the new car will strengthen the 3’s position as the sportiest and most efficient vehicle in its segment.
For more than three decades, the BMW 3 Series has maintained pole position as the most widely sold premium vehicle in the world. The new BMW 3 Series continues to set the bar even higher with new engines, styling, and the latest BMW technology.
“The BMW 3 Series is the culmination of everything a sedan should be and the latest BMW 3 Series further strengthens its position as the sportiest and most efficient vehicle in its segment,” said Geoffrey Briscoe, BMW Malaysia’s Managing Director.
“Following the launch of the BMW 3 Series in spring 2005, we have built and sold some 1 million Sedan units worldwide. It is the vehicle with the highest retail volume for the BMW Group,” Briscoe said. “In Malaysia, we have sold a total of 7,762 units from 2003 until October 2008. It is a consistent leader in its segment for the BMW Group both locally and internationally.”
Briscoe added that the first generation of the new BMW 3 Series (Spring 2005 till present) was so successful that it exceeded the first three-year sales of its predecessor by 15 per cent. A total of 873,318 were sold from 2005 until 2007 globally, compared to 756,144 sold from 1998 until 2000. He said the company was equally confident of the same growth for the new car.
In Malaysia, a key growth market in the region for the BMW 3 Series Sedan, it recorded 22.56 per cent compounded sales from 2005 until 2007, and increased its market share from 40 per cent in 2005 to 50 per cent last year.
Offering unparalleled driving dynamics, premium substance and efficiency, the new BMW 3 Series Sedan sets unsurpassed standards with rear-wheel drive, harmonious axle load distribution, steering precision and highly sophisticated chassis technology.
With four petrol engines, the new BMW 3 Series offers the most extensive range of engines in its segment, with one all new 6-cylinder engine. The five variants of the new BMW 3 Series are the 320i, 320i Sports, 323i, 325i Sports and the 335i.
An important addition to the fleet is the BMW 323i. This is an all-new variant, previously not available in Malaysia. Accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds with an average fuel consumption of 8.8 litres per kilometre, the 323i is a classic demonstration of BMW’s EfficientDynamics philosophy. This new car offers unsurpassed performance yet still manages to lead in terms of consumption and emissions.
“The local introduction of the BMW 323i is another testament of our commitment to make available more models within each segment in the Malaysian market. This is part of our overall strategy of offering greater options to our customers,” Briscoe said.
The new BMW 3 Series is claimed to have the most sophisticated chassis technology in its segment. At the rear axle, there is a five-link construction which is adapted to the needs of the especially high-power and high-torque engines. The front axle of the BMW 3 Series also reflects a unique standard of engineering, with a dual-arm tension strut axle with stabiliser, largely made of aluminium.
With striking design accentuations to the front section, the new 3 Series sports arrow-shaped character lines on the hood and broadened kidney with closed chrome frame. The characteristic brand look of the double circular headlights is underscored by means of chrome tubes, and its corona rings can now also be used in the BMW 3 Series Sedan with bi-xenon headlamps as daytime running lights. The dynamic character of the new BMW 3 Series Sedan has also been given additional emphasis with newly designed front bumpers with enlarged air intake.
Powerfully taut surfaces and striking character lines dominate the side view of the new BMW 3 Series, while the rear section has a broader effect due to more detailed lines. The dual section rear lights are now structured according to the characteristic BMW L-shape. The two LED rear light clusters and the direction indicators in LED technology are designed to create a striking, high-quality appearance.
The modern, high-quality interior of the BMW 3 Series has been further enhanced by means of specific modifications in the selection of materials and surface design. Modern design concepts are also applied, with its convex-concave surfaces, sporty elegance and technology-oriented aesthetic style.
A new generation of the BMW iDrive operating system in conjunction with navigation systems is now available in the new BMW 3 Series. The new iDrive in the BMW 3 Series is presented with an 8.8-inch Control Display, surpassing the dimensions of all-graphic displays available to date in the automobile field. Storage medium with a capacity of 80 gigabytes provides outstandingly vast access to digital maps for navigation purposes and can also be used as an extensive collection of music files.
The safety concept of the new BMW 3 Series is based on a solid body structure, the selective application of high-strength steel types and special deformation elements, which divert and absorb impact energy. The front seats of the new BMW 3 Series are fitted with crash-active headrests as standard, which significantly reduce the risk of injury to the cervical spine in the event of an impact. A contribution to active safety is made by the new generation of adaptive headlights, available in the BMW 335i in conjunction with bi-xenon headlamps. It guarantees illumination of the road surface when taking a corner.
“The new BMW 3 Series represents the next step in the evolution of the 3 Series and we intend to grow the segment by building on our EfficientDynamics advantage. While today we are launching four engine variants, we hope to add more to the line in the coming months to give Malaysian customers the distinct advantage of BMW’s advanced technology”, said Briscoe.
The retail prices (on the road, without insurance, with BMW Service Inclusive + Repair) for the new BMW 3 Series are as follow: