The 2012 BMW 3-series has broken cover. We know most of its technical details and we’ve already driven the turbocharged, four-cylinder 328i sedan. The only lingering question is: What’s it going to cost? We managed to wrangle some insider pricing information, and there’s going to be hardly any change at all. The entry-level 328i sedan will start at $35,775 and the more-powerful 335i at $43,275. Those prices represent increases of $300 and $350, respectively, over equivalent 2011 models. Just like the 2011s, opting for an automatic transmission will be a no-cost decision.
When BMW revealed the new 3-series, it laid out a new trim-level scheme that starts with the base car and progresses to Luxury, Modern, and Sport Line iterations. We have it on good authority that the Luxury and Modern 328is will cost approximately $37,900 and the Sport Line will ring in at about $38,400. Even more sportiness can be had with a fifth trim level, M Sport, which is very similar to the same package offered for the current 3-series and will arrive in July 2012. An M Sport 328i should start around $40,000, while a 335i so fitted will demand roughly $47,500.
Why the long wait for the sportiest non-M 3-series? As we noted after our first spin in the new 328i, BMW is aggressively courting tech-savvy buyers. The automaker feels its sporty image is enough to compel enthusiasts into showrooms, so it’s going after non-enthusiasts with technology- and efficiency-focused 3s first (in addition to the four-cylinder–powered 328i, a hybrid is on its way, and we’ll even get a diesel model). The new car can be had with a self-parking system and head-up display, while an iDriven dash-top monitor is standard. In addition to generating lamentations from the enthusiast crowd, you can bet all the available bells, whistles, and gizmos will garner a pile of cash for BMW. We expect a fully loaded 328i to surpass $54,000, and a similarly optioned 335i to command nearly $59,000. Ouch.
On the bright side, BMW will continue to ship 3-series wagons to our shores; it’ll begin arriving as a 2013 model. (BMW will continue to sell the current-gen wagon until then.) The 3-series coupe and convertible, too, will wait another year. As with the wagon, though, the impatient will be able to buy the current versions until the F30-based cars show up. And don’t forget about the 3-series GT, which likely will arrive still another year later, as a 2014. The two-door cars, though, are the ones we’re most anxiously awaiting. When they arrive, we’ll finally learn the answer to perhaps the most burning of all our 3-series questions: Will they be badged 4-series?
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