BMW of North America will raise prices by less than 1 percent on its top-selling car, the 3-series sedan, when a redesigned version goes on sale in February.
The 2012 328i sedan will start at $35,795, up $320 from the model it replaces, and the 335i will go up $370 to $43,295, the automaker said today. Both prices include an $895 destination charge.
BMW said the cars will have more equipment than the models they replace, including a 6.5-inch central display with its traditional iDrive controller for audio, climate and other settings. The cars will also have a USB/iPod interface, an eight-speed automatic transmission, a start/stop function and brake-energy regeneration.
The redesigned versions may give the automaker a boost next year in what could be a bid to retain the title of top-selling luxury brand in the United States. Through October, BMW led Mercedes (excluding Sprinter vans) by about 7,000 sales and had more than a 45,000-unit lead over earthquake-hampered Lexus, the perennial No. 1.
