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BMW Brings Back the Oil Burner, Confirms 2.0-liter I-4 Diesel for U.S.

BMW has not yet confirmed which models will receive these engines, nor when.

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Ben Timmins - MOTORTREND - July 13 2012

Not much of an announcement without a confirmed timeline. --Ed.

If you thought the death of the 335d sedan meant BMW was slowly killing off its U.S.-market diesel cars, think again. BMW announced this morning that it’ll produce both a four- and six-cylinder diesel engine for the U.S. market, and one or both could be heading straight for the venerable 3 Series.

Early this morning, Automobile senior editor Jason Cammisa announced on Twitter that BMW confirmed it will bring a 2.0-liter, single-turbo, inline-four-cylinder diesel engine. He added that the engine should make 180 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Those specs should sound familiar, because they are: the U.S.-spec engine has an identical output to the 2.0-liter I-4 turbodiesel under the hood of the European-spec BMW 320d sedan and wagon.

BMW also confirmed a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter diesel I-6 will be added to its U.S. powertrain portfolio within the same timeframe. Though it sounds similar to the engine presently offered in the X5 xDrive35d and in the old 335d model, it’s an all-new engine, and from the same family as the engine used in the European 330d Touring model. U.S.-market specifications are still being ironed out, but it’s expected to produce close to 255 hp, and a stout 413 lb-ft of torque between 1500-3000 rpm. In the X5 xDrive35d, the outgoing diesel I-6 was rated at 19/26 mpg city/highway. We hope (and think) this engine is destined for a U.S.-market 3 Series, as it’s capable of pushing the 330d Touring from 0-62 mph in a respectable 5.6 seconds.

BMW says both engines will be paired with eight-speed automatic transmissions, and utilize a urea-based selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system to meet emissions standards. What it hasn’t said, exactly, is what model lines receive what engine, and when. The diesel I-4 is offered abroad in the 1, 3 and 5-Series ranges, along with both the X1 and X3 crossovers. The I-6 is a shoe-in for the large X5, but it could also appear in either the 3- or 5 Series model lines. Another possibility for the I-6: the 7 Series, as Mercedes-Benz recently began selling its diesel-powered S350 Bluetec in North America.
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