Next-gen BMW 3 Series spied in its production body

-    The G20 3 Series has dropped all its cladding revealing its production-ready body in newest spy shots. 

-    It will be based on the new CLAR platform and that will help it grow in size.

-    Expected to arrive sometime later this year. 

BMW has been extensively testing the new-gen 3 Series for a year now. The test mule of new 3 Series was spotted once again near the carmaker’s headquarters in Munich. This time, the 3 Series prototype had no black cladding whatsoever with just a single web-designed camouflage revealing its production-ready body. 

Appearance wise, the test mule had a new stylish headlight design which, sans camouflage, will look similar to the new 5 Series. The alloy wheels, however, looked mediocre in comparison and a size or two smaller. This should, however, change when the car is fully revealed. The characteristic creases on the 3 Series body with flared wheel arches can also be seen. But the fresh design element here would be the restyled grille. 

At the rear, the tailgate and bumpers again seem similar to the G30 5 Series. The dual exhaust set-up suggests this a mid-spec variant that is being tested here. The tail lights will be even sleeker compared to the current car and will have futuristic LED lighting signature.

Although no interior picture is available at the moment, we know that the cabin will be borrowed from the larger sedans. It will be distinctively BMW with additional features as seen on the 5 Series. The G20 3 Series will be underpinned by BMW’s new CLAR platform. It will help the sedan grow in dimension allowing for more cabin space.  The new platform would also make the new 3 Series lighter by around 40-50 kilograms thanks to the extensive use of aluminium and carbon fibre. 

Under the hood, the new range of engines will be more refined, and even more efficient compared to the current car. The four-cylinder or straight-six petrol and diesel motors will put out anything between 130 to 350bhp depending on the trim. The power-packed M3 with a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six will join the range promptly.

We expect the new 3 Series to be revealed early next year. It will follow the resurrected 8 Series, which will debut at LeMans, and the new-gen X5 which is due later in 2018.