This month (12/08) sees the arrival of the new BMW 335d, a car so good it could be the best diesel in the world. It's certainly going to be the best diesel on sale in North America. If the VW Jetta TDI is the perfect entry-level ice-breaker for the new clean-diesel revolution, then the BMW 335d is the perfect entry-level sportscar.
OK, these are bold claims for an oil-burning sedan but the 335d's combination of frugality, practicality and outright performance make it an almost impossible combination to beat.
At the heart of the machine is BMW's award-winning 3.0 24v Piezo common rail six-cylinder diesel motor with variable twin-turbo system and 80 lb aluminum crankcase. Using a small turbo at low engine speeds, and a larger one as revs increase, the sophisticated electronics provide a seamless wave of torque that peaks at a neck-snapping 425 lb-ft at 1750rpm. They carefully control the injectors that run up to 29400psi, pulsing at up to five times per combustion stroke to ensure the perfect fuel delivery.
With 265hp - about 20hp less than the 286hp European version - the 335d will accelerate to 60mph in an astonishing 6.0sec and goes on to an autobahn-verified and electronically limited 130mph.
The reason US cars claim less power is the sophisticated emissions equipment onboard. Required by US regulations, the motor combines a diesel particulate filter with EGR and SCR systems.
It's the SCR that's unique to North American diesels (although the less potent Jetta doesn't require it) and consists of a 20 liter tank of urea. This is injected ahead of the car's second catalytic converter specifically to eradicate nitrous oxide emission - a gas that's less regulated in Europe.
Reducing NOx output by as much as 90%, the tank is claimed to easily last between 15000 mile service intervals and will be filled by the dealer, free of charge, during your regular, free servicing.?If, however, you're heavy-footed and empty the urea reservoir before the service interval (something BMW claims is highly unlikely), you can't simply pull over and pee in the tank. Once the dashboard light illuminates to warn you of an empty tank, you are given a small number of engine starts to get to your dealer before the car will refuse to start again. This is stipulated by regulations and designed to prevent these turbo-diesels running around without the NOx-killing urea onboard.
Now while your impression of diesels may be based on the smokey tragedies of the past, European manufacturers like BMW, VW, Audi and Mercedes are hoping you've been able to sample their new technology while vacationing in Europe. If not, then you're in for a shock. Not only are these new diesels smoke-free, they possess the kind of performance that will require a mind recalibration.
In the 335d, with its impeccable six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, you simply mash the pedal and wave goodbye to everybody at the traffic lights. And on the freeway, the ridiculous levels of torque endow it with some of the fastest in-gear acceleration times in the business.
And all the while, you'll be grinning as the dashboard display records 23mpg city and 36mpg highway. In our experience, we were easily able to exceed these figures during our mix of city and autobahn driving. And a diversion onto twisting alpine roads revealed this BMW hasn't sacrificed any of its legendary handling prowess in the search for economy. The silken gear changes (with manual paddles) and abundant torque had us powering uphill and wheelspinning out of hairpin corners.
You wouldn't expect a diesel to be this much fun but the 335d is as entertaining as anything in the 3-Series line-up (M3 excepted). It certainly offers a thoughtful alternative to the 335i, but with prices (yet to be announced) in the low $40s, its advanced technology does attract a premium.