2013 BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid will debut in Detroit

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The Bavarians have made it official, one of their most important appearances at the Detroit Motor Show in early 2012 will be a new hybrid version of the F30 BMW 3 Series.

Dubbed the 2013 BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid, it probably won’t get any tech from the Toyota deal, much like Lexus won’t get any diesels from it either.

The new hybrid will stand out thanks to its badges but also to a few other visual hints that are meant to increase fuel efficiency.

Most of the lower body kit receives a few (rather minor) changes that make the 2013 BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid cut through the air much more cleanly.

Perhaps the most easily noticeable feature of the new hybrid is the new set of alloy wheels. The reversed fan appearance helps cooling of the brakes and lowers the drag coefficient.

Under the skin, the 2013 BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid is powered by a 3.0 liter straight six cylinder engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology which develops 300 horsepower that’s teamed to an electric motor.

Essentially, it’s the same powerplant as the 335i but the engine was tuned for a more efficient delivery rather than performance.

Helping it along, we find the 55 horsepower electric motor, a start stop system and an automatic eight speed gearbox. It all comes together somehow and BMW claims some pretty impressive results.

The same performance is expected from the 2013 BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid as the 335i but fuel efficiency is rated at 12% better with a capability of more than 36 mpg.