New 2018 BMW 3 Series spotted for the first time ~ station of gear

First pics emerge of BMW's next-gen 3 Series. The Audi A4 rival shows a design similar to next 5 Series

2016-01-11 17:35

BMW's latest lightly facelifted 3 Series hasn't been on sale for long, but already we've seen its successor in disguised prototype form for the first time. The seventh-generation compact exec is set to launch sometime in 2018.

Details so far are thin on the ground but we can see that the shape behind the camouflage bears a fair resemblance to spy shots of the next BMW 5 Series. It appears BMW will follow in the footsteps of Mercedes with the 'Russian doll' effect of the C-Class and E-Class.

Image 4 of 10

Image 4 of 10

Familiar styling details such as the BMW double kidney grille remain, but the curvy headlamp design appears totally different from those on the angular current model. It's difficult to tell if the striking rear light units, bulging out sideways, will make production.

Under the skin, we can expect BMW will take a leaf out of Audi's books buy cutting weight yet adding space. The current BMW 3 Series is falling behind the latest models for rear seat room and bootspace, so that will be a priority.

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Image 9 of 10

The 3-Series may, like the next 5 and new 7-Series, use aluminium and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic in the chassis and body to shave some pounds. Expect efficiency to increase as a result, and BMW is likely to push forward with plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell tech alongside turbo petrol and diesel engines.

We'll bring you more details as and when we get them, but expect to see the finished 3-Series at one of the big European shows in 2018.

Do you like the way the new BMW 3 Series is shaping up? Let us know in the comments section below...

Lawrence Allan

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