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Rear-end styling isn't as radical as larger 5- and 7-Series
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4Car brought you the first images of the new 3-Series last year, courtesy of a leaked, pre-production sales brochure. Those pictures depicted a dramatic, deeply sculpted form that carried forward the controversial new BMW family style first initiated by the 7-Series. Those meticulously lit studio shots made the most of every deep-cast shadow along the new car's flanks and sills. In the flat, hard light of a midday sun, though, those dramatic details are far less evident. And so the new 3-Series reveals itself to be the most gently evolutionary styling progression of all the Chris Bangle-inspired BMWs. That's hardly surprising as the 3-Series, with a staggering 3 million sales to date, is the one car that BMW simply can't afford take chances with.
The new car is longer, wider and taller than the one it replaces, and whilst the 3-Series has never been a cheap car, this new model is not significantly more expensive than its predecessors. Saloon and (from autumn 2005) Touring estate versions are available, and engines currently on offer include the 320d's 2.0-litre diesel and 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0-litre petrol units. Entry-level 318i and 318d versions will join the range next year.
While the new 3-Series has a fearsome act to follow, there has yet to be a five-star car in 4Car's Best in Class line-up for compact executives. Let's see how close the fifth-generation 3-Series comes to the Holy Grail.
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