BMW’s 3 Series range just received a facelift, and we already knew that it was going to get a mild tech update. Leaving the new engines and the new design aside, some interesting changes will also be introduced in commodity features.
The 4 Series range was overlooked by the facelift that came out this year. Since the Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe models have been released a two years after the 3 Series that makes sense. However, the Germans didn’t want to leave them out altogether.
New engines will be introduced for the 4 Series line-up, especially in the diesel compartment, with the Cabriolet model being available in 420d guise. This version will be powered by a new unit making 190 HP and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque, unlike the old one that had 6 HP less.
The Gran Coupe range gets an update for the 418d model now fitted with the B47 2-liter 4-cylinder mill making 150 HP. However, leaving all these tech bits aside, let’s see what features are new.
Starting with July 2015, the 3 Series and 4 Series models will be available with the new Parking Assistant feature that allows you to park your car... without any human input.
Yes, it might seem like that’s nothing new at first but, get this, the Parking Assistant now also knows to transverse park and not just parallel park. Don’t know about you but that makes a huge difference to us as many times you don’t have enough space for parallel parking.
The system recognizes appropriate parking spots if they are longer than the car’s length by 80 cm (31.4 inches) or if they are at least 2.5 meters (98.4 inches) wide.
To top everything off, the two models will also be available with a new equipment line: Advantage. This will be joining the Luxury, Sport and M Sport lines in the range and offer features such as Park Distance Control, cruise control with braking function, the Storage Package and 16” or 17” wheels depending on the car’s engine.
New engines will be introduced for the 4 Series line-up, especially in the diesel compartment, with the Cabriolet model being available in 420d guise. This version will be powered by a new unit making 190 HP and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque, unlike the old one that had 6 HP less.
The Gran Coupe range gets an update for the 418d model now fitted with the B47 2-liter 4-cylinder mill making 150 HP. However, leaving all these tech bits aside, let’s see what features are new.
Starting with July 2015, the 3 Series and 4 Series models will be available with the new Parking Assistant feature that allows you to park your car... without any human input.
Yes, it might seem like that’s nothing new at first but, get this, the Parking Assistant now also knows to transverse park and not just parallel park. Don’t know about you but that makes a huge difference to us as many times you don’t have enough space for parallel parking.
The system recognizes appropriate parking spots if they are longer than the car’s length by 80 cm (31.4 inches) or if they are at least 2.5 meters (98.4 inches) wide.
To top everything off, the two models will also be available with a new equipment line: Advantage. This will be joining the Luxury, Sport and M Sport lines in the range and offer features such as Park Distance Control, cruise control with braking function, the Storage Package and 16” or 17” wheels depending on the car’s engine.