FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH last month of the 2009 BMW 330d sedan in Australia, BMW is set to give the diesel-engined 3 Series Coupe, Convertible and Touring a local release.

Depending on the body style, customers will be able to choose from a 2.0 litre four cylinder diesel or a 3.0 litre straight-six diesel.

The 3 Series diesel range is equipped with BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies, including Brake Energy Regeneration, Electric Power Steering and Common Rail Diesel technology.

As an added advantage for buyers, each of the new 3 Series diesel-powered models achieves fuel economy figures below the 7.0 l/100km luxury tax threshold.

The 2.0 litre diesel engine, which already features in the 320d sedan (review here), will be available in all three body styles; Coupe, Convertible and Touring.

Developing a maximum output of 130kW, the 2.0 litre diesel produces peak torque of 350Nm between 1750 and 3000rpm.

Fuel consumption for the 2.0 litre diesel is officially rated at 5.5 l/100km for the 320d Coupe, 5.6 l/100km for the 320d Touring and 5.8 l/100km for the 320d Convertible.

Acceleration to 100km/h for the 2.0 litre diesel-equipped models is around the 8 second mark. The 320d coupe covers the sprint in 8 seconds flat, the 320d Touring in 8.3 seconds and the 320d Convertible in 8.7 seconds.

The all-aluminium 3.0 litre straight-six diesel engine will be available with the 330d Coupe and 330d Convertible.

Producing 180kW of power and 520Nm of torque, the 3.0 litre diesel sees the 330d Coupe cover the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.1 seconds, with the 330d Convertible pulling a 6.5 second run.

Fuel consumption for the 330d Coupe is 6.2 l/100km, and the 330d Convertible is rated at 6.4 l/100km.

Both the 2.0 litre and 3.0 litre diesel engines are fitted with an exhaust gas turbocharger, which BMW claims provides optimum power throughout the range thanks to its variable turbine geometry.

Equipment and features in the 3 Series diesel line-up is in line with that offered in the 325i Coupe and Convertible. The 320d Touring offers features similar to those of the 320i sedan.

Standard features include Automatic transmission, Dakota Leather interior, Sports multifunction leather steering wheel, Bluetooth telephone connectivity, Automatic Climate Control, Auxiliary in-put, Park Distance Control, Xenon Lights (Coupe and Convertible) and light alloys wheels (17-inch Coupe and Convertible, 16-inch Touring).  Front seat heating is also standard on the 320d Convertible.

The 330d Convertible and 330d Coupe also features full Dakota Leather trim (Convertible with SunReflective technology), Business Navigation, bi-xenon adaptive headlights, 10 speaker HiFi loudspeaker system, electric drive and passenger seats with memory function (Coupe with Sports Seats) and 17-inch light alloy wheels.

The 3 Series diesel range will arrive in BMW showrooms around Australia from November 2009.

Pricing

320d Executive Touring	$61,500
320d Coupe	$67,500
320d Convertible	$80,400
330d Coupe	$91,900
330d Convertible	$104,850

Note: The above pricing is Manufacturer’s List Price, excluding dealer charges, stamp duty, statutory charges and on-road charges which are additional and vary between dealers and States/Territories

GALLERY » 2009 BMW 330d Australia