China getting long wheelbase BMW 3 Series

Posted 5th April, 2012 in BMW | Leave a comment

BMW will be revealing a long wheelbase version of its new 3 Series saloon at this year’s Auto China Show in Beijing later this month.

Built for the Chinese market at its Shenyang production plant, this extended version’s wheelbase has been stretched by 11 cm, to offer the best rear seat travel comfort among the competition. Whereas drivers in the rest of the world would simply buy a larger model, Chinese owners have always had a fetish for elongated vehicles. And with LWB variants of cars such as the BMW 5 Series, Audi’s A4 and A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class all selling well in the East, we’ve no doubt that this 3 Series will succeed there too.

At its launch, buyers will have the choice of a 225 kW (302 hp) 335Li, 180 kW (242 hp) 328Li, or 135 kW (181 hp) 320Li model.