How Many Cylinders Does the BMW 3 Series 320 Have?

[AutumnLee]

The BMW 3 Series 320 is equipped with a four-cylinder engine. The BMW 3 Series 320 features a 2.0T turbocharged engine, which delivers a maximum power of 115 kW and a peak torque of 250 Nm. This engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Below is a comparison between three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines: 1. The four-cylinder engine is commonly found in household vehicles. Generally, most cars on the market use four-cylinder engines, while only a few models utilize three-cylinder engines. This is because four-cylinder engines have more mature production technology and operate more stably. 2. Due to the inherent structure of three-cylinder engines, they may have some design flaws, leading to noticeable vibrations during operation, making them less stable than four-cylinder engines. 3. Since three-cylinder engines lack one cylinder, they are lighter in weight and more compact in size, which helps reduce the overall weight of the vehicle to some extent.

[DiNaomi]

My previous car was the current-generation 320i, and after driving it for three years, I'm extremely familiar with this powertrain. All currently available 320 models are equipped with a four-cylinder 2.0T engine, the B48 version. Although some old-school enthusiasts miss the inline-six 320 from over a decade ago, this generation's four-cylinder engine truly excels in fuel efficiency—my daily commute averages under 8L per 100km. The acceleration feels sharper than the specs suggest, with noticeable kickback in Sport mode when you floor it. The key advantage is hassle-free maintenance: replacing four spark plugs is 30% cheaper than for a six-cylinder, and the oil filter is easier to access. It occasionally sounds a bit strained on uphill mountain roads, but it’s more than sufficient for city driving.

[OEva]

As someone who has studied BMW's powertrain lineup, I find the engine layout of the 320 quite interesting. Starting with the G20 generation in 2019, the 320 has fully adopted the low-power version of the B48 four-cylinder engine, delivering 184 horsepower. In fact, the engine hardware is identical to that of the 325, with the only difference being the ECU tuning. Interestingly, the 2.0T diesel four-cylinder 320d can still be seen in overseas markets, but only the gasoline version is available domestically. In a horizontal comparison, the current four-cylinder engine is 22 kg lighter than the 3.0L six-cylinder from the E90 era over a decade ago, significantly improving front axle agility. However, the smooth high-revving sound of the old inline-six is still fondly remembered by enthusiasts.

[VonJosiah]

The 320 is equipped with BMW's modular B-series four-cylinder engine, specifically a 2.0-liter turbocharged version for the domestic market. This four-cylinder engine has undergone extensive lightweight treatment, such as replacing the cast iron with an aluminum cylinder block and redesigning the crankcase. The actual driving experience is quite interesting: the vibration during cold starts is more noticeable than the old six-cylinder, but it becomes very smooth once the revs climb past 2,000 RPM. The fuel consumption is truly impressive—on my frequent highway routes, activating Eco mode can achieve 6.3L/100km. However, it's worth noting that the tuning potential isn't as high as the 330 version, mainly due to differences in turbo blade size and cooling design.