Super six for BMW 3 sedan

BMW is releasing a 335i sedan in December. The 3 Series sedan will get the same 3.0-litre twin turbo straight six as fitted to the recently debuted Coupe. The powerplant is rated at 225kW and 400Nm and pushes the four-door to an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h and 0-100km sprint time of 5.8sec.

According to BMW the straight six employs latest direct-injection and turbo technology that jointly deliver more power, more torque and faster acceleration while banishing turbo lag and using less fuel than a conventional turbo engine.

The BMW 335i Sedan will be available in Australia with automatic transmission only: the six-speed gearbox is controlled both by the traditional Steptronic shifter and a set of chromed steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The new 335i boasts a 35kW/100Nm output advantage over the 330i sedan and will be priced starting at $104,000. Standard features include BMW's High Beam Assist, which automatically activates and de-actives high beam where required, along with Professional Navigation, TV tuner and Voice Recognition controls, and Bluetooth mobile phone preparation.

Options include a BMW M Sport Package with sportier suspension settings, M Aerodynamic body kit and M interior features such as M sport seats and interior trim, while riding on 17-inch light alloy wheels. M Sport tailpipes also gain a chrome finisher.

BMW expects the 335i Sedan will appeal to Aussie performance car fans and even V8 shoppers.

"We expect the 335i Sedan will make its mark in Australia out of the box, as one of the fastest, most refined and dynamically enhanced cars available," says Tom Noble, General Manager, Marketing at BMW Group Australia.

"With its cutting edge engineering innovation, high power output combined with frugal fuel consumption, the 335i is the only choice for the most sophisticated sporting drivers of luxury compact cars," Noble said.