BMW is said to be planning to add a new entry-level 730Li on the Chinese market with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine under its hood.
Chinese reports, quoted by Paultan.org, indicate that the new powertrain to make its way onto the 730Li in the Asian country is from the B48 family, the 2.0-liter found on the facelifted 330i, which should get a similar output, meaning 252PS (249hp) and 350Nm (258lb-ft) of torque.
The engine is expected to be connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and it will serve as a replacement for the naturally-aspirated inline-six 3.0-liter unit found on the current 730Li, which produces 258PS (254hp) and 310Nm (229lb-ft) of torque.
If the report turns out the be true, this won’t be the first time that the Bavarian firm is using a four-cylinder engine on its flagship sedan, as the company already has the 740e plug-in hybrid, with a 2.0-liter unit, electric motor, 8-speed automatic and xDrive all-wheel drive.
Whether BMW has any plans to offer the “fresh” 730Li outside the Chinese market is not known yet, but the model is expected to be offered for sale locally starting next March.
Note: 2016 BMW 7-Series pictured
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