BMW overhauls its euro-spec engine range starting this summer, shares a ton of numbers

By Miles Branman May 13, 2015

BMW has just announced a series of mechanical upgrades stretching across several model lines to begin taking effect this summer.

It’s a good thing BMW uses numerical monikers or this would get confusing … scratch that, it’s going to be confusing either way, so try to keep up.

Changes start with the 1 Series, which gains a three-cylinder 1.5-liter engine for the 118i starting in July of this year. 134 horsepower will get the 118i to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. In the same month, the 2 Series Coupe and Convertible will get two new diesel engines in the form of the 218d and 225d. The Convertible will also get the option of BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.

The 2 Series GranTourer adds three new engines: a three-cylinder gas engine with 100 hp (the 216i), a three-cylinder diesel with 94 hp (the 214d), and a four-cylinder diesel with 188 hp (the 220d).

Beginning this summer, several 3 Series and 4 Series models, as well as the X5 will switch to a new generation of four-cylinder diesels. The 318d Gran Turismo and 418d Convertible will make an improved 148 hp and the 320d Gran Turismo and 420d Gran Coupe will bump up to 188 horses.

Finally, the X5 will get the most powerful new diesel, which kind of makes sense given its extra gurth. The X5 sDrive25d and xDrive25d will use a new 228 hp four-cylinder diesel that takes 7.7 seconds to get to 60 mph.

Besides the new engines, the next generations of BMW’s iDrive and parking assistant systems will replace the current systems in all 3 Series and 4 Series models.

Oh, and if you live in the U.S. and missed the euro-specific title, you can promptly ignore everything you’ve just read, because as you might have concluded by now, none of the above models are available stateside.

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