[springer222]

https://www.bmwblog.com/2020/01/17/b...40-hp-in-2020/

[JNW1]

Might be of interest over the M340i for some higher mileage drivers but is it definitely confirmed as available in RHD and coming to the UK?

[Auslander]

Unlikely to come to the UK - diesel power is largely the preserve of the company car driver, especially at this level - nobody is using their own money to buy £50k of diesel 3-series.

However, WLTP emissions mean they're now priced out of the market for a company car driver - generating bills of over £500 / month - effectively killing demand for them.

We are at the beginning of the end for higher performance diesels (and even the 20d) in the UK.

Unless you can get emissions under 100g/km *and* get RDE2 certification, nobody will want it.

[springer222]

I can’t see why it wouldn’t come to the UK. If it’s euro 6d compliant then there would be no reason for it not to come. Remember it’s going to have the new 48v mild hybrid system too and that will reduce the co2 figures. Also if you compare the x3 30d and 40d the wltp figure there is only 1 g/km difference.

[nashdm2]

Reading the article it says it has a small electric motor alongside the diesel engine. Not sure I would want that as mine would be a keeper and I would not want that technology outside of a warranty.

[springer222]

Yeah, I understand that, more tech more problems! But I guess most people will just pcp so I guess it’s a way for bmw to meet the next emissions requirement

[JohnBarny]

Tbh it could work as from June the 320d will be a 37% BIK car under wltp which is the maximum so a 340d will be the same 37% BIK although a higher priced car

[Auslander]

Nobody is having a 320d post April, either!

Only the 16d is RDE2 certified.

There is little to no point in engineering and getting type approval for the 340d.

[JohnBarny]

Tbh the car market is going to be very strange in a few years, due to all the company car owners going hybrid/electric. Due to battery costs and length of warranty I don’t see these keeping as much value as a petrol or diesel equivalent.

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by JohnBarny

Tbh the car market is going to be very strange in a few years, due to all the company car owners going hybrid/electric. Due to battery costs and length of warranty I don’t see these keeping as much value as a petrol or diesel equivalent.

Hmm warranty options will change to meet that though. For example I was a a little surprised to see Toyota battery/hybrid models now have 150,000 mile warranty (I think in the battery) but that's quite a bit of reassurance.

Also it's worth being aware that although new, battery vehicles actually have much less the go wrong and is why the industry is in a bit of a worry over how dealers will make their service revenues. PHEVs though which offer both I do agree continue to be fairly complex beasts!

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by petrolpusher

Unlikely to come to the UK - diesel power is largely the preserve of the company car driver, especially at this level - nobody is using their own money to buy £50k of diesel 3-series.

However, WLTP emissions mean they're now priced out of the market for a company car driver - generating bills of over £500 / month - effectively killing demand for them.

We are at the beginning of the end for higher performance diesels (and even the 20d) in the UK.

Unless you can get emissions under 100g/km *and* get RDE2 certification, nobody will want it.

I would and I doubt I'm alone. No company user is going to lease one of these now. Plenty folk do like the characteristics of a Diesel engine, and bmw 6 pot ones are usually amongst the best.

[Auslander]

I just can't see a market for nearly £50k worth of 3-series diesel.

If you look at the F30s, there are 6 times as many 320d for sale as 335d - and this is before BIK got silly, so a number of those 335d will have been sold as fleet cars (my line manager used to have a 330d, the only reason he didn't have a 335d was because it slipped into a higher emissions band than we were allowed).

The cost of engineering for such a low level of demand will be prohibitive.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by petrolpusher

I just can't see a market for nearly £50k worth of 3-series diesel.

If you look at the F30s, there are 6 times as many 320d for sale as 335d - and this is before BIK got silly, so a number of those 335d will have been sold as fleet cars (my line manager used to have a 330d, the only reason he didn't have a 335d was because it slipped into a higher emissions band than we were allowed).

The cost of engineering for such a low level of demand will be prohibitive.

Audi have the S4 with diesel now so seems it's justified and with the F30 335d BMW were the only premium brand with that kind of power train before. Whilst diesel is going down BMW already have that engine and platform to go so I'm sure they can make a business case for it.

I'm surprised that the ratio of 335d to 320d wasn't even larger to be honest. Given how well the 335d has done I think it would be surprising if they didn't bring it. They sold way more 335d than 335/340i.

Having said that, last time I was in a dealership and enquired, they said it was 50/50 still on it coming to the UK. That was in November last year.

[Auslander]

Big difference is that Audi aren't bringing us a petrol S4. Diesel is the only option.

Larger diesels are dead in the UK - very few manufacturers are giving us an RDE2 certified diesel right now - and they're being legislated against, with Bristol looking to ban them completely from the city centre.

[JustChris]

I think there's as many PCP company car users though as those with a BIK to consider. Thus it's just another £50k car with PCP figures and would 'sell' just fine I'd imagine.

[Auslander]

I think we're more likely to see an M340e or M345e than a performance diesel option.

VED ('road tax') for the first 6 years on a proposed M340d could end up coming in at nearly £4300 in total - over £700 per year.

[springer222]

I think bmw relies way too much on their big diesels to drop them yet. BMW have spent far too much money on them to stop. Maybe in the future when they have some decent electric replacements but they are still way behind the likes of Tesla.

[danorman777]

I am swapping my 535d for an M340i. I love the 535d but wouldn't buy a 340d because of the market in the UK now. Plus it does sound nicer!

[Auslander]

Originally Posted by springer222

I think bmw relies way too much on their big diesels to drop them yet. BMW have spent far too much money on them to stop. Maybe in the future when they have some decent electric replacements but they are still way behind the likes of Tesla.

But the 45e setup is more than suitable for placing a big diesel - and has already been engineered for RHD application in the 745e - although I guess it's just tweaking the power vs the 330e setup anyway.

They will still make big 6 pot diesels for the LHD market, but re-engineering the twin-turbo would seem to be futile given our current tax regime.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by petrolpusher

Nobody is having a 320d post April, either!

Only the 16d is RDE2 certified.

There is little to no point in engineering and getting type approval for the 340d.

So its ok for BMW to bring the X3 M40d to the UK (which they do of course) ...... but not ok to bring the M340d to the UK?

[Auslander]

More closely related to the 5 platform and a different market sector.

We don't get a 540d, which would be a relatively easy job to engineer given the relationship between X3 and 5 series.

Wouldn't surprise me to se the X3 M40d dropped for the LCI models either.

The landscape has changed since the X3 M40d was launched - the confirmation of the government's refusal to re-band cars based on WLTP only came mid 2019.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by petrolpusher

More closely related to the 5 platform and a different market sector.

We don't get a 540d, which would be a relatively easy job to engineer given the relationship between X3 and 5 series.

Wouldn't surprise me to se the X3 M40d dropped for the LCI models either.

The landscape has changed since the X3 M40d was launched - the confirmation of the government's refusal to re-band cars based on WLTP only came mid 2019.

Fair points.

I'm quite surprised how many people on this forum seem to have gone for the 330e. Its seems to be the new "diesel".

Much different choices to when the F3x was launched back in 2012 where everyone was buying diesels (mainly the 330d then later the 335d). So yes, things seem to be moving in a different direction with the G20.