The 2014 BMW 328d was unveiled at this year's New York auto show where the automaker said fuel economy for the diesel-powered 3 Series "could well exceed 40 mpg." Now, it appears BMW achieved that goal following official EPA ratings for the 2014 328d. As previously reported, the 328d is powered by a 2.0-liter turbodiesel I-4 (180 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque) mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The rear-drive sedan is EPA rated at 32/45 mpg city/highway and the 328d xDrive all-wheel drive (both the sedan and sports wagon) returns 31/43 mpg city/highway. BMW provided an estimated 0-60 mph time of about 7 seconds, a stretch from the 5.8 seconds we achieved in our long-term 2009 BMW 335d with the inline-six turbo diesel powerplant. That oil-burning BMW, however, was EPA rated at 23/36 mpg city/highway. Click here for our initial driving impressions of the 328d: 2014 BMW 328d Quick Drive Technical director Frank Markus took a quick spin in the 2014 328d and noted that the new sedan "seems to strike a better balance between performance and fuel economy." With 280 lb-ft of torque, the 328d had no issue "merging smartly with freeway traffic or easily jumping ahead of a line of dawdlers for the right-hand-turn lane," Markus noted. The 2014 BMW 328d is expected to go on sale soon. Expect official pricing news to arrive shortly. Source: EPA
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