BMW has revealed the long-wheelbase version of the new 3 Series saloon, which will be offered exclusively in the Chinese market, at this year’s Shanghai motor show.

The extended version of the recently launched seventh-generation 3 Series has been reworked to offer extra space in the rear, along with a number of new features. It fits a long trend of car firms making longer versions of premium models for China.

The stretched 3 Series’s wheelbase of 2851mm is 41mm longer than the regular 3 Series, and the car’s total length is stretched to 4719mm. It is 1827mm wide and 1459mm high, with increased track widths of 1583mm at the front and 1599mm at the rear.

Power comes from a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, while the 3 Series long-wheelbase features comfort seats in the front and rear and a panoramic glass roof, among a number of features to meet the demands of Chinese customers.

The machine will be produced by joint venture firm BMW Brilliance Automotive, at its Tiexi plant in Shenyang in Liaoning Province, where Chinese market versions of the regular 3 Series will also be produced.

In China, the 3 Series – in both standard and long-wheelbase forms – will also be offered with BMW’s new Intelligent Personal Assistant system, which offers a range of digital services. It also responds to voice controls with the prompt ‘hey BMW’.

BMW has also displayed the recently announced X3M and X4M performance SUV models in public for the first time at the Shanghai show.

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