We have covered the BMW Advanced Diesels here at BimmerFile for about the last 10 months and now we can say we not only know the tech in and out but also have some seat time in them. Much like our drive of the X5 xDrive35d, the 335d had me walking away very impressed.
When most people today hear diesel they think efficiency and cost savings. BMW went another route with the launch of the first 3 series diesel in the US; performance. They want to establish diesels not only as efficient misers but as cars that like to be driven, cars that fulfill the needs of those that love to drive rather than be driven. Whether they succeed or not truly depends on getting people into the cars and drive them, create a buzz as it were about these “new” breed of diesels, these Advanced Diesels.
Without looking at the rear badge there is no indication this car has a diesel under the hood and that is how BMW chose to badge this car; no other badges or stickers proclaiming efficiency or diesel for that matter. Just a lower case “d”. The most noticeable difference when looking at the car are the wheels offered with the Sport Package (ZSP). These gorgeous 18″ wheels are only available in the US on this car. The other difference is of course the round circular cutout for the AdBlue/Diesel Emission Fluid filler located on the driver’s side of the back bumper. Much like the 335i there are dual exhausts, indicating that this thing likes to go fast. You would be hard pressed to find a non-enthusiast that would be able to identify this car as a diesel. On the inside the only visible difference is in the cluster: a tachometer with fewer RPMs and a diesel gauge. The remainder of the car appears as any petrol powered 335i would, the standard equipment and options are also the same.
For all of you that had hopes of placing the beauties in your car some time in the near future; we bring you some news. The good news is that for all you reading this from outside the US of A this has no bearing on you, the bad news is what many had already speculated.
These fantastically designed and engineered seats bearing the BMW Performance branding will not be for sale from the product launch in the US. They do not contain the passenger occupancy mat as is required for all passenger cars in the US. The interesting thing is they did manage to design in side airbags and all of the other safety features.
Sources indicate that BMWNA has not ruled out future availability of these seats as they are aware there is a definite market for them. US pricing or a possible date the seats may become available for the US has not been discussed or even speculated as there are too many variables (such as testing that must be completed if the mats are eventually built in) to consider. While we would love to see these seats brought to the US it hard to imagine there is much market for them in the current financial climate.
It would be interesting to see the sales numbers on these after the first year; they are a great looking seat with immense purpose yet how many would be willing to spend the bucks required to call them their own?
The California Air Resources Board has recently conditionally certified the BMW Advanced Diesel models for sale in the state of California. California has rigorous testing and high standards when it comes to emissions so this was no small feat; except for the caveat that these cars are only conditionally certified.
BMW will have to pay a fine for each car sold in Cali until the the system is corrected for certain problems. There were 7 problems found in the OBDII (On Board Diagnostics) that triggered the conditional certification and fine. We will see if our contacts can shed any further light on the system errors and possible solutions. If the fines are not paid in a timely manner, the cars will be de-certified and BMW would be subject to a much larger fine per vehicle.
It is a bit surprising to see only the conditional certification considering all the testing and market specific changes BMW made to these models. Let’s hope that a solution can be worked out or BMW at the least can keep on top of paying the fines by there due dates!
The BMW Performance line of parts has been available for the 1 Series for some time now and the line for the 3 was recently introduced.
Since these parts are designed, and installed by BMW certified technicians they will carry a BMW warranty. These parts are installed after purchase and not at the factory. Many of the parts will be available at your local dealers now though the full line should be available by April of ‘09. Here are a few pictures and we will continue to update as we acquire more info.
The 335d configurator finally went live so you can build your own! With the higher base MSRP of this car and a few packages it is easy to break the $50,000 barrier without even trying.
This price-point is approaching/entering 5 Series numbers for a 3er so if the Advanced Diesel will be a success is definitely going to be an uphill battle. As they say, “the proof is in the pudding” so until we are able to put the car through its paces we can’t say the premium is worth it. Though on paper it looks like it will be.
We have confirmed the following with BMWNA and is in fact an official response to complaints about turbo lag. Models affected are the 135i, 335i/xi, 535i/xi and the X6 xDrive35i.
The turbo lag is not overwhelming for most and to some it is not noticeable. The cause of the lag is due to a change in the engine software; some were built with the new software while others obtained it through an update at the dealer. The reason BMW was updating the software was because of certain noise concerns and the by-product of the update was the increase in lag and the desired decrease in noise.
For some time the lag was denounced and was never officially acknowledged; this statement changes all of that. It also indicated engines may be updated with software that does not cause lag but may cause this “noise”. We would think most enthusiasts would welcome the noise over the lag but for certain others it may be the other way around. You apparently will have a choice.
Another official video from BMW Performance about the new 1 and 3 Series line-up. This is the full version of the video we debuted just a few days ago. Look for all of these accessories to be available at any BMW dealer around the world if they aren’t already.
While the US market will not see the non-///M version of the DCT in a 3 series for some time, if at all, other markets currently do. This 7-Speed dual clutch transmission is available in the E92 coupe and E93 convertible in almost all other markets.
“Gecko” an enthusiast from Belgium took some video of the shifting in his DCT equipped 3 Series. The first shows “Auto”, very smooth, and the second in “Manual” with fast shifts almost immediately after the paddle is pressed. We do not encourage filming and driving at such speeds but welcome the video as an example of what this transmission is capable of.
We just received advanced word of the pricing for the 335d and the X5d. Both will command a price increase over the gas powered models.
MSRP for the 335d will be $43,900 (not including destination) for the base model, a $2475 premium over the 335i with Steptronic or $3800 over a manual car. The Advanced Diesels are only available in Steptronic autos. Likewise the X5 xDrive35d will also see the MSRP increase but to $51,200 (not including destination), a $4100 bump. If packaging remains the same as the sibling models, these increases are more than was anticipated for the addition of a diesel motor, and the emissions technology.
We will update you as we hear more later in the day.
The 335d will have a best in class EPA fuel economy of 23/36 MPG making it the most fuel efficient BMW ever sold in the US as well as the highest rated EPA MPG 6 cylinder engine ever in the US. With 0-60 in 6.0 seconds it is quicker to that mark than the all new Audi A4 3.2 and the MB C350.
The X5d (as we like to refer to it as) will have an EPA rating of 19/26 MPG with a 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds; making it the fastest and most efficient SUV in the US. Both models will have a highway range of 580 miles. Both will qualify for the IRS Alternative Motor Vehicle Tax Credit.
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Sections: E90 3 Series, EfficientDynamics, Review, Technology Jan 8th, 2009 14 Comments 
