BMW 1-Series And 3-Series To Offer Three Cylinder Option?

With emissions standards getting tougher, some manufacturers have resorted to downsizing and turbocharging their engines in a bid to meet customer and government demands.

The 'less is more' approach has been in full swing for a while now and it appears BMW's 1 and 3-Series will be next to join the fray.

Sky Motoring is reporting that BMW is looking to use a three cylinder 1.35 litre turbocharged engine in the lower half of each range.

A 1.8 litre turbocharged mill will power the more upmarket models with the engine line-up expected to look something like this.

• x16i – 1.35-litre, 3-cylinder, 121kW/190Nm (163bhp/140 lb-ft)
• x18i – 1.35-litre, 3-cylinder, 150kW/221Nm (201bhp/162 lb-ft)
• x20i – 1.35-litre, 3-cylinder, 179kW/263Nm (241bhp/192 lb-ft)
• x23i – 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder, 203kW/301Nm (273bhp/220 lb-ft)
• x25i – 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder, 239kW/353Nm (321bhp/258 lb-ft)

It'll be another two years before these engines start showing up on the roads with development said to be well underway. This may see power and emissions figures change once the dust settles.

We'll be keeping our eye out for a statement from BMW, but the whispers suggesting this will go ahead are pretty strong. Makes sense: same power, less emissions and a smaller thirst.