New to BMW with both the new F20 1 series, and the F30 3 series, are different "equipment lines". While this tactic has been offered by competitors such as Mercedes, (C-Class Luxury and Sport Variants) Audi (Premium, Premium Plus, Prestige) along with others, BMW has traditionally been unique in the class with their abundant order combinations. Although US specs have yet to be released, it is unlikely that you will be able to get for example, the aggressive sport variant with a Saddle interior and walnut trim. This is really a shame as some customers might want a more custom specification which is no longer available as the packages will probably have restrictions.
While the new combination limitations might be disappointing, one area to applaud BMW is on the new chassis. BMW has been designing their product with a more luxury and comfort emphasis, while losing their distinctive sporty traits. Unlike other recently released products, (5, 6, X3) the 3 series manages to actually LOSE weight in comparison to the the previous generation, the E90!!! Hopefully, this translates into a sportier car which handles just as well as the praised E90 and still maintains the sporty ride. In their press release, BMW emphasizes that their car is as dynamic as ever. Many customers choose the 3 series solely because it is the most "athletic" car in the segment and hopefully BMW recognizes this and engineered the car to fit this need, suspension tunings included. That being said, it would be nice to know that BMW finally got an electronic steering system right. Ever since BMW has introduced electronic steering in an effort to reduce fuel consumption, their cars' steering has been severely criticized. BMW should have had sufficient practice with the system and fine tuned it enough to maintain the 3 series trademark steering, despite switching to an electronic system.
Lastly, while the loss of a naturally aspirated engine is a shame, hopefully the new I4 will be a good replacement! In the coming weeks we will know more about the vehicle. BMW claims to have greatly improved their most important product, but only time will tell.
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