The ActiveHybrid 3 is BMW's fourth series-production hybrid. After the short-lived X6 ActiveHybrid and the more recently introduced ActiveHybrid 7 and ActiveHybrid 5, there is now another gasoline-electric-powered BMW to tempt U.S. car buyers.
Set to reach North American showrooms in October, the car should be seen as more as a modern-day performance machine than a fuel-sipping economy commuter-as evidenced by its official 0-to-62-mph acceleration claim, which sees it outrun the 335i sedan at 5.3 seconds versus 5.5 seconds. Both have a limited 155-mph top speed.
Impressively, the ActiveHybrid 3 is also claimed to return an average 39.9 mpg on the combined European cycle. That also beats the 335i sedan, which is rated at 32.7 mpg on the same test procedure.
As with BMW's previous hybrid models, this car relies on a combination of gasoline and electric power. Being a full hybrid, as opposed to a mild hybrid like some rivals, it can run on either gasoline or electric power alone, or alternatively a combination of both for added performance.
Mounted longitudinally up front is the 335i's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine delivering 302 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It is supported by a brushless electric motor mounted in the forward section of the gearbox housing, developing 55 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque.
When running together, or parallel as it is known in automotive-engineering jargon, the gasoline engine and the electric motor provide a combined 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque-33 hp and 37 lb-ft of torque more than the 335i sedan.
All of this sounds rather appealing until you learn that the added reserves come with a 320-pound penalty, taking the curb weight of the new BMW up to 3,649 pounds.
A plug-in version is in the works and is likely to be offered in 2014. But for now, the ActiveHybrid 3 recharges its battery pack on the run. As such, it is fitted with a relatively small battery boasting a capacity of just 675 watt-hours.
The lithium-ion unit, the individual cells for which are manufactured by A123 in the United States, is mounted in the space usually used for the spare wheel. Although BMW claims there are no packaging compromises, the ActiveHybrid 3's trunk capacity is 3.2 cubic feet less than that of the 335i at 13.8 cubic feet, according to the European measurement procedure.
Drive runs through a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox with remote shift paddles to the rear wheels. The driver can choose from four individual modes: eco pro, comfort, sport and sport-plus.
As with all recent BMW models, there is a whole armada of fuel-saving features, including automatic stop/start, brake-energy recuperation and ancillary functions such as the water pump that only operate when called upon rather than all the time, as in the past.
To these, BMW has also fitted the ActiveHybrid 3 with a coasting function that sees the gasoline engine idle when you back out of the throttle and lightly touch the brakes at speeds up to 100 mph in eco pro mode for additional fuel savings.
What is it like to drive?
Straightforward-at least to begin with. You simply jump in, hit the starter button, select a gear and head off, exactly as you would in the 335i.
The rest of the driving experience, however, is a little different from BMW's more regular models. The electric motor, produced in-house by BMW, can propel the ActiveHybrid 3 alone for a distance of up to 2.5 miles at speeds up to 47 mph on light throttle loads. So with sufficient battery charge and a degree of restraint, you can set off in silence, or with just the noise of the tires rolling across pavement from underneath.
There's appeal in attempting to run as far as possible in electric mode, and a detailed display on its color monitor with all sorts of different graphs indicating the fuel-saving advantages urges you to do just that. It can even be linked to the topography feature of the ActiveHybrid 3's optional navigation system to see it provide greater benefits, such as at the end of programmed journeys where, if the conditions permit, the drive system automatically switches into electric mode for the final mile or so, providing there is sufficient battery charge.
But the reality is that the ActiveHybrid 3, as it is today, doesn't travel very far without the help of its gasoline engine. The battery simply lacks the capacity to entertain anything more than a brief zero-emission excursion.
The real intrigue, then, centers on the performance-enhancing qualities provided by BMW's latest hybrid system. The additional reserves offered by the electric motor are like having an extra degree of turbocharger boost for the gasoline engine.
Despite the added weight, the ActiveHybrid 3 always feels determined, thanks to its generous amount of torque. The delivery is tremendously flexible, allowing it to pull tall gears at low revs without any trouble at all. It's much like a 335i sedan, only faster, quieter and more economical.
As you up the pace, two factors stand out: the new BMW's solid straight-line stability and its excellent driveline refinement. But as we found out as we entered the fast lane of an autobahn outside of Munich, it is the pace generated at full throttle and its ability to cope with it for prolong periods of high-speed running that really set it apart.
It's not quite M3 quick through the gears. However, the ActiveHybrid 3 is not that far behind the German carmaker's iconic performance sedan for outright speed. It also tracks beautifully at speeds, well beyond those deemed legal in the United States.
There's also entertainment in the dynamic properties. The inherent response in the steering makes it fun to guide the ActiveHybrid 3 over winding back roads. The overall body control isn't quite up to the high level attained by the 335i, but with the optional adaptive dampers on our test car switched into sport mode, we discovered that roll is well suppressed.
Despite running low-rolling-resistance tires overall grip levels are excellent-again, perhaps not quite to the level of the 335i sedan but impressive all the same. And while the added weight gives the ActiveHybrid 3 a busier ride at around-town speeds than its more conventional stablemate, it is nonetheless cosseting in comfort mode at higher speeds.
Do I want one?
The ActiveHybrid 3 is an impressively engineered car boasting a state-of-the-art driveline that, if BMW's figures are to be believed, will net you the sort of fuel economy usually associated with much more compact and less well-equipped cars.
Along with providing zero-emission capability for short distances around town, the car also is exceptionally rapid when the conditions allow, giving little away in sheer pace to cars with truly illustrious performance credentials. In outright dynamic terms it is also close in appeal to one of our all-time favorite drives, the 335i sedan.
If it has to be a hybrid, make sure the ActiveHybrid 3 is firmly on your list. Even with the price premium it will command over the $43,295 335i sedan, it's unlikely to disappoint.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120709/carreviews/120709851#ixzz2CqlEXY9I
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