Europe finally gets a powerful BMW with an inline-six engine, which Americans have long been enjoying (2 photos)

BMW’s updated powertrain

BMW has unveiled an updated 3.0-liter inline-six engine that now produces 387 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain will be available in the M240i, M340i, and M440i models. Compared to the previous version of the engine, power has increased by 18 horsepower and torque by 30 pound-feet.

Despite the tightening of environmental regulations in Europe, BMW continues to improve traditional internal combustion engines. Although electric vehicles are considered the future of the automotive industry, the Bavarian manufacturer is demonstrating that gasoline engines still have significant potential.

Improved performance and efficiency

The updated power unit will appear in the M340i xDrive Sedan and M340i xDrive Touring models on the European market this fall. The engine, which works in tandem with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, demonstrates a significant improvement in performance. BMW also plans to install this engine in the M440i xDrive Coupe, M440i xDrive Convertible, M440i xDrive Gran Coupe and M240i xDrive Coupe.

Thanks to the additional power, all models with the new engine can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h 0.1 seconds faster. Even more impressive are the fuel efficiency figures – for example, the M240i xDrive Coupe consumes 8.0 l/100 km compared to 8.7-8.8 l/100 km in the previous version. CO2 emissions have also been reduced from 199-200 g/km to 183 g/km.



Efficiency of the different models

The 3-Series and 4-Series models with the new engine demonstrate even better efficiency figures. The M340i xDrive Sedan consumes 7.5 l/100 km, and the Touring – 7.9 l/100 km. The M440i xDrive Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe have figures of 7.7 l/100 km, 7.7 l/100 km and 7.8 l/100 km respectively.

Interestingly, for the North American market the M340i model already received similar specifications last year. The M240i and Z4 M40i models continue to offer power at the level of 382 hp.

Additional updates

In addition to the engine updates, BMW also announced that the updated 4-Series Gran Coupe and i4 models will receive standard equipment with laser taillights and optional adaptive LED headlights. The 2-Series Gran Coupe is also available in a new colour scheme, Cape York Green, when ordered with the M Sport design or M Sport packages.

BMW's engine upgrades demonstrate that the manufacturer continues to invest in the development of traditional technologies while simultaneously improving their environmental performance. This is especially important against the backdrop of increasing environmental requirements in Europe, where many automakers are focusing exclusively on electric vehicles. Technical improvements allow BMW to offer customers improved performance without compromising the environment, which can be an important competitive advantage in the market.