Weighing 40 kg less than its predecessor, BMW’s new F30 3 series is a svelte winner. We’ve driven it recently in Spain, and even more recently in the US. There is no doubt that BMW’s talent have mixed just the right ingredients to keep the 3er ahead of the pack in every measurable way.
Now making an official launch at the Canadian International Auto Show here in Toronto, is the Active Hybrid 3. BMW have jumped the gun on the competition and have managed to marked the world’s first premium sport sedan hybrid. They’ve kept sport firmly in the equation – in fact unlike the Honda CR-Z which give you plenty of zzz’s behind the wheel, the BMW 3 Active leverages its extra electric motor to add sport to the equation – while also adding efficiency.
The inline 6 engine is teamed with the electric motor to produce a combined output of 335 hp – 300 compliments of the inline 6, the rest thanks to a massive pack of wires. The additional weight of the battery pack and electric motor will slow the car’s reflexes considerably, but the added power will keep things exciting in a straight line. The Active Hybrid 3 will manage a 12.5 % improvement in fuel economy over the 335i, which is quite considerable – no doubt magnified in extra-urban traffic. Also called Toronto traffic.
Expect the new BMW 3 series Active Hybrid to hit Canadian show rooms later this year. Also… expect a price premium over the 335i that may negate the 12.5 % fuel cost savings.
