The outgoing 3-series was available with a torque-tastic 425-lb-ft, 3.0-liter diesel inline-six; that model, badged 335d, was available only with an automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive—and hit 60 mph in 5.7 seconds in our testing. Its burly nature and exorbitant sticker price ($45,025) were a recipe for slow sales, but it was nevertheless a more cost-effective way for the company to offer a diesel 3, with the same engine having been brought up to U.S. regulations for use in the X5 xDrive35d.
This time around, we believe things will be different. It’s more likely that we’ll see a diesel four-cylinder in the 3-series. Our bet is on BMW offering a 2.0-liter dizzler, which makes 181 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque in the newly introduced European-spec 320d. If this engine does come here, BMW probably will deploy it in more models, too—the 5-series and X3 are both prime candidates.
The exact timing, however, remains unclear. We were slightly surprised that a U.S.-bound diesel wasn’t announced with the rest of the American 3-series lineup, but its arrival may have been pushed off to avoid stealing the alternative-powertrain spotlight from the new ActiveHybrid 3. Figure on a wait of at least a year—or possibly until the mid-cycle refresh rolls around in three years or so—for the new-gen diesel 3 to hit the States.
Original Article: http://blog.caranddriver.com/new-f30-bmw-3-series-to-offer-diesel-engine-in-u-s-—eventually/
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