最近谍照记者拍到了全新3系（内部编号G20）照片。这辆原型车首次采用量产版车身，但仍配备了临时安装前大灯和尾灯组。虽然由于车身伪装无法看起细节，但预计该车不会进行大幅度改款，只是进行渐进式改款。虽然外观变化不大，但内部将有很大变化，新车将与新一代7系和5系共享CLAR平台。因此新车不仅抗扭刚性提升，而且据传虽然车身尺寸增加，但车重将降低80公斤。由于新车轴距增加，因此后排腿部空间将更充裕，同时改款车尾也将拥有更大储物容积。至于动力系统，除了三缸和四缸涡轮引擎外，六缸引擎也将获得升级，预计新车还将提供插电混动系统。在其生命周期后半程甚至还有可能增加纯电动版本。新车将于明年底或2018年初发布。与新一代1系采用前轮驱动布局不同，新一代3系仍将坚持后轮驱动，同时搭载某些引擎的版本还可选装xDrive全驱系统。

 

2018 BMW 3 Series poses for the camera with production body

It’s been raining BMW prototypes all week as after checking out the next 5 Series Touring, X3, and X5, now time has come to have a closer look at the all-new 3 Series codenamed “G20.” For the first time, the prototype was spotted carrying the production body, although it still had the temporary headlights and taillights. While it’s hard to make out the details at this point, we are not holding our breath for any major styling changes as the impression this prototype is giving us is of evolutionary rather than a radical new design approach.

 

But while the exterior design won’t be all that different, underneath the skin there are going to be some major changes brought by the switch to the CLAR platform, which has already underpinned the new 7 and 5. It should enable a considerable boost in torsional stiffness and a rumored 176-pound (80-kilogram) weight loss, even though Bavaria’s next premium compact sedan will likely grow in size a little bit. Although not visible, a stretch in the wheelbase seems possible to grant the new BMW 3 Series with more legroom in the back, while the reshaped rear end could accommodate a more spacious trunk.

 

Besides the usual assortment of turbocharged engines with three, four, and six cylinders likely being upgraded for the new 3 Series, the model is expected to spawn a couple of plug-in hybrid derivatives. Later in the life cycle, there might even be an all-electric version if we were to rely on the rumor mill.

 

The current 3 Series has been around since 2012, with a very subtle facelift introduced last year. It will be replaced by this new generation likely towards the end of next year or early 2018. Unlike the 1 Series that will switch to a front-wheel drive layout for the next generation, the next 3 Series will thankfully remain a RWD model, with the option of xDrive for select engines.