German Car Zone

Prepare to have your prejudices shattered and your perceptions altered. Prepare to relearn everything you thought you knew about performance cars. Prepare to drive the 2009 BMW 335d.

The 335d spearheads a freshened 3 Series range for North America that will be unveiled at the Los Angeles show next month. Key changes to the 3 Series for 2009 include a new hood with dual character lines leading down to a broader, chrome-ringed double kidney grille. There are new bumpers front and rear, new exterior rearview mirrors, plus new headlights and taillights. The front track has been increased 6 mm, while the rear has been pumped out 24 mm. Six new wheel designs are available.

Inside are mild upgrades to the interior, including a smattering of classier new materials, revised instrument graphics, and the latest-generation iDrive system, featuring the new controller and button cluster from the just-released 7 Series and the same glitzy, high-resolution graphic interface.

The big news is under the hood, however. The 328i and 335i drivetrains continue unchanged for 2009, but they are joined by BMW's first 50-state-legal diesel, a twin-turbo, 3.0L straight-six that delivers 265 hp at 4220 rpm, and a thumping 425 lb-ft of torque between 1750 and 2250 rpm. Driving through a six-speed automatic transmission, BMW claims this engine will propel the 335d from 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 sec while delivering 23 mpg city and 36 mpg on the highway.

It sounds too good to be true -- sport-sedan performance with econo-car mileage. But after our first drive of a U.S. spec 335d in Europe, it appears to deliver on the promise. After 120 miles of stop-start Munich traffic, flat-out autobahn blasts (we can confirm that cruising at 120 mph the 335d's engine is turning a lazy 3100 rpm, and that the U.S.-spec version is limited to an indicated 134 mph), and 80 mph cruising on Austrian motorways, the trip computer on our tester showed it was averaging 30.9 mpg.


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2009 BMW 335d - First Drive of the BMW 3 Series diesel bound for the U.S. - Motor Trend


Stunning diesel performance IMO. Can't wait to see the U.S. market reaction to this car.


M

I must ask, what are the expectations like regarding a diesel in the states? Are there any real points of reference for the buyers? I mean, when i think of diesels in the states I often end up with this picture in my head:



Diesel converted Caprice...

Yeah and old, slow, smokey Mercedes-Benzes and Volvos. Cadillac and Oldsmobile really made some junk diesels too that just flushed the diesel concept/proposition down the crapper for most Americans. This negative perception is what the average uninformed American has about diesels. Unfortunately the uninformed are the majority and MB, BMW, Audi and VW have been trying to change this perception, kinda like trying to push an ox cart uphill.

M

Really very hot! and those new rims are the perfect finish to the car!

Thanks.

It would work wonders on the pollution if agerage Joe would accept a 2.0L turbo diesel as an everyday drive... good luck everyone!

All of the reviews I've seen of the facelifted 335d seem to praise the engine sound, some even say the sound is so sporty you would think it's a petrol engine!

Almost as much torque as a C63 hehe. In gear acceleration must be a hoot.

I've driven 335d with 286hp/580 nm, european version and yes its a fast car. But I prefer 335i over a diesel engine.

Quite the opposite since diesels release small exhaust particles which are causing smog and health concerns. It would do wonders on fuel economy, though.

I've driven the engine. It's lovely and sometime you even forget that it's a diesel. Although I'm not a diesel junkie I wouldn't mind that engine at all.