BMW offers free kit for 3-series

BMW is offering buyers of the 3-series saloon and coupe packages of extra equipment for free or at reduced cost.

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BMW is offering buyers of the 3-series saloon and coupe packages of extra equipment for free or at reduced cost.

Buyers of petrol-engined 3-series saloons can specify the Plus package and get free extras worth more than £1000. The package includes metallic paint, 17-inch alloy wheels and an aerodynamic body-styling kit.

BMW will replace the 3-series saloon next spring, so deals and discounts may improve with time. However, What Car?’s editor, David Motton, sounded a note of caution. ‘Offers appear more tempting but buyers should realise that residual values will take a hit when the new 3-series arrives,’ he said.

A Hi-Line options package for the 3-series coupe – a car which is likely to be replaced along with the cabriolet in 2006 – has also been introduced. It offers upgraded alloy wheels, metallic paint and leather upholstery for between £800 and £1250, depending on the model. This cuts up to 46% off the cost of the items when specified individually.

According to our latest Target Price figures, buyers can expect to get around 6% knocked off the list price of any 3-series.

Target Price is the most we think you should pay for any new car. You can find the Target Price for every new car in the Buyer's Guide at the back of What Car? magazine and at Whatcar.com.

• BMW has scrapped plans to use even numbers to designate coupe and cabriolet variants of mainstream models. The move would have seen the forthcoming coupe and cabriolet versions of the 1- and 3-series adopt 2- and 4-series badging.