BMW 3 Series F30: The Sixth-Generation Sedan, Touring and Gran Turismo

The BMW F30 is the sixth generation of the 3 Series compact executive car, sold as a sedan, a Touring wagon and a Gran Turismo fastback. It ran in production from late 2011 until 2019. It was the first 3 Series to use turbocharged engines exclusively, and it gave rise to the F80 M3.

What is the BMW F30?

The F30 is the sedan version of the sixth-generation 3 Series, with the F31 Touring and F34 Gran Turismo as its wagon and fastback siblings. The generation was produced from October 2011 to 2019 and is often called the F30 for short.

When the sixth generation arrived, the coupe and convertible models were spun off to form the 4 Series. BMW also introduced a hatchback-style model under the 3 Series name, the 3 Series Gran Turismo, which echoed the 5 Series Gran Turismo.

A sixth-generation 3 Series that went turbo-only, spawned the F80 M3 and ended with a Gran Turismo that did not sell well.

Where did the F30 come from?

The F30 was revealed in Munich on 14 October 2011. Its market launch began on 11 February 2012, the day first customer deliveries started. The sedan's exterior was designed by Christopher Weil, and the Touring's by Michael de Bono.

It was the first 3 Series to be powered by turbocharged engines exclusively, and electric power steering replaced the hydraulic systems used previously. The successor, the G20 3 Series, was released in March 2019.

How did the sedan launch?

The sedan debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. Early versions were the 328i and 335i, and after the facelift the line included the 330i and 340i. The 320i, 318d and 316d joined in March 2012.

In the United States the four-cylinder petrol models marked the first time a 3 Series had been sold with that engine type since the E36 318i.

What were the Touring and Gran Turismo bodies?

The Touring wagon, badged F31, was unveiled at the 21st Auto Mobil International in Leipzig in 2012. The Gran Turismo fastback, F34, was shown at the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show in March 2013.

The Gran Turismo was the longest of the three. At 4,824 mm (189.9 in) it was 200 mm (7.9 in) longer than the sedan, and its wheelbase was 110 mm (4.3 in) longer, which allowed three full-size rear seats. It was also 79 mm (3.1 in) taller than the F30 and F31.

The F34 received a facelift in mid-2016, and all-wheel drive was offered in the i xDrive and d xDrive models. The Gran Turismo was discontinued in 2020 because it proved unsuccessful in terms of sales, and it was replaced by the 4 Series Gran Coupe (G26) in June 2021.

Was there a long-wheelbase F30 for China?

Yes. The F35 long-wheelbase sedan was produced for the Chinese market, with its wheelbase stretched to 2,920 mm (115.0 in). It was built at Shenyang and had chrome trim on the doors to separate it from the regular sedan.

The wheelbase increase of 110 mm (4.3 in) added 90 mm (3.5 in) of rear knee room, and the overall length reached 4,734 mm (186.4 in). The F35 was unveiled at the 2012 Auto China show in Beijing, with initial models the 320Li, 328Li and 335Li.

How did the F30 look and feel?

The F30 and F31 grew in every dimension over their predecessor. Their headlamps connect to a wide kidney grille, and the tail lamps use a wide L-shaped design. Both the sedan and the Touring carried this look.

Interior space improved too. Rear headroom, legroom and shoulder room in the sedan grew compared with the E90 predecessor, and options included heated front seats, split-fold rear seats and satellite navigation.

Which trim lines were offered?

In some markets the F30 came with Modern Line, Sport Line and Luxury Line trims, alongside the base car and M Sport. The Modern Line was discontinued after the 2014 model year due to low sales.

These lines formed the base packages that buyers could build on with extra options. M Performance Parts could be fitted to M Sport models, including sport brakes, side skirts, black kidney grilles and carbon fibre mirrors.

What engines did the F30 use?

The petrol range started with turbocharged N13 and N20 four-cylinders and the N55 six. The 328i, traditionally a naturally aspirated six, switched to the turbocharged four-cylinder N20. The 2016 facelift moved petrol models to the B38 three-cylinder, the B48 four and the B58 six.

Diesel models started with the N47 four-cylinder and N57 six-cylinder, both turbocharged. For the 2016 facelift the four became the B47, while the six kept the N57.

Transmissions included 6-speed manuals from Getrag and ZF, and 8-speed automatics from ZF in three versions.

Which special models did the F30 spawn?

The ActiveHybrid 3 paired a 335i with a 40 kW (54 hp) electric motor for a total system output of 250 kW (335 hp). The 330e iPerformance, unveiled at the IAA in Frankfurt in September 2015, added a plug-in hybrid option.

The ActiveHybrid 3's motor produced 210 Nm (150 lb ft) of torque, with an all-electric range of 4 km (2.5 mi). It was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2012.

The 330e's powertrain is rated at 185 kW (248 hp) and 420 Nm (310 lb ft). A 340i ZHP package for the 2018 model year was limited to 100 examples in North America, revived the ZHP name from the E46 330i and F32 435i, and raised the 3.0-litre inline six by 35 hp (26 kW) to 355 hp (265 kW).

Alpina also built a B3 based on the F30 between 2013 and 2019.

What was the F80 M3?

The M3 based on the F30 arrived in 2014 with the designation F80, powered by the S55 twin-turbocharged straight six. It was the first M3 to use a separate model code, and it was also the first time an M coupe was designated M4.

The M4 coupe carried the F82 designation alongside the F80 M3. Production of the M3 ended in 2020, and it was succeeded by the G80 M3.

What changed with the 2015 facelift?

The facelift, released in 2015 for the 2016 model year, replaced the 335i with the 340i and the 328i with the 330i in most markets. The 318i moved to a 3-cylinder B38 engine, the first 318i in the model's history not to use a four-cylinder.

The facelift also brought LED headlights and revised suspension mounts, plus Bluetooth audio streaming as standard. The 330e iPerformance plug-in hybrid joined the range at the same time.

In 2013 all-wheel drive became available on the wagon in the 320i, 328i and 335i models. In 2014 the 328d became the first four-cylinder diesel BMW sold in the United States.

Did the F30 appear at the London Olympics?

Yes. The 320d EfficientDynamics was the most widely used vehicle at the London 2012 Olympics, a result of BMW's official partnership with the Games. The F30 was in its first year on sale when the event took place.

Where was the F30 built?

Production started with the sedan on 28 October 2011, and Touring production ended in June 2019. Sedans and wagons were built in Germany, South Africa, India, China and Brazil, while the Gran Turismo came from the Dingolfing plant in Germany.

South Africa's Rosslyn plant built the F30 until 2018. Local assembly of complete knock-down kits took place in Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand.

What are the BMW 3 Series F30 specifications?