While North America keeps getting more and more SUVs/CUVs to fit every perceived niche of the market, Europe has always received some truly interesting small cars that are both fuel efficient and fun-to-drive, and anything but glorified family trucksters.
The BMW 3 Series Compact was actually a car that initially came stateside as an E36, two years after its European introduction, for the 1995-1999 model years. Poor sales prompted BMW to halt importation and sales of the 3 Series Compact to North America, while Europe and other markets received a fully-redesigned next-generation E46 version for the 2001-2004 models years.
Like its predecessor, the E46 Compact shared its wheelbase with other 3 Series bodystyles, yet with shorter overhangs, length was still about 9-10 inches shorter. Front and rear fascias were even more distinctive from other bodystyles now, with unique quad headlights and smaller taillights. Unlike E36 Compacts, E46 Compacts shared no sheetmetal with their sedan, touring, coupe, or convertible counterparts.
Dashboard design and layout was also now shared with the other E46s, as the E36 Compact’s interior was a mix of E30 and E36 components. Versus its E36 predecessor, the E46 Compact gained a more advanced multi-link rear suspension that was shared with the rest of the 3 Series range, as E36s used the previous generation E30’s semi-trailing arm setup.
In a segment where most competitors were front-wheel drive, the 3 Series Compact was notable for sticking to the rear-wheel drive train of its larger relatives, something that arguably enhanced its performance, especially considering the E46’s impressive capabilities. Engines were shared with other 3 Series, with Compacts being available in four-cylinder 316ti and 318ti, and six-cylinder 325ti regular gasoline models, as well as the 318td and 320td, which both were powered by 2.0-liter I4 diesel engines.
I came across this particular example when I was in Alsace last summer, on a guided tour of the region that included visits to several towns and villages, Haut-Kœnigsbourg (Hohkönigsburg in German) Castle, and a wine tasting at an Alsace Gran Cru-designated vineyard, Domaine Sylvie Spielman. The highest classification for wines of the region, if there were a “Gran Cru of Subcompacts”, I think this bug-eyed Bimmer has the appropriate qualifications, as it didn’t sacrifice its chassis for smaller size.
Photographed in Eguisheim, Alsace, France – September 2017
Related Reading:
1995-1999 BMW 3 Series Compact – The Bob-Tailed Bimmer
I did see an E36 compact last week, it’s a car that I always liked due to the lack of rear wheel drive hatchbacks in America.
It’s funny how Mercedes-Benz decided the early 2000s was the right time to bring us the similar C230 three-door (which was an outright dog until they added the 1.8-liter supercharged I4).
Brendan, would you say the 1 Series three-door hatchback was the replacsment for the 3 Series Compact?
Those MB C class hatchbacks were horrific.
The interior was cheap and tacky.
The facelifted version looked even worse.
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Those C-Class hatches were always somewhat of an anomaly in Mercedes’ lineup. Attractive enough cars, but very different from the luxury image of the other C-Class lineup in the U.S.
And yes, indeed. The 1 Series was BMW’s direct successor to the 3 Series Compact. Not surprisingly, they only sold the coupe and convertible bodystyles in the U.S., whereas Europe received the more practical 3- and 5- door hatches.
A Golf-sized BMW hatchback in the US would be cool (although even the Golf no longer offers the three-door hatch here).
I agree. The C-Class hatchback, which let you know it was a budget car, was very out-of-line for Mercedes-Benz at the time. They’ve had better success building cars on cheaper platforms that at least appear fancy (CLA-Class, GLA-Classs, upcoming A-Class).
The one thing the C-Class hatch did offer, that the sedan didn’t, was a panoramic sunroof.
As for this E46 hatchback, I’d have been sorely tempted to take a sawzall to the front end and retrofit the coupe headlights to it. Other than that, it looked quite handsome.
I would be pretty confident an E46 sedan front end would fit, the coupe had the A pillars shifted back slightly.
When I saw the first pictures back in 2001 I thought it was a bold, daring design and bound to be a huge success.
When seeing it in person, I had to realize that the bulgy greenhouse looked like a hump on a person´s back. Not nice.
It flopped tremendously in Europe. People hated the transparent look of the rear lamps so BMW had to hastily tint them in red color.
That’s one mangy-looking manx-tailed dog, all hunched up and having to wear a face-muzzle. Stay, Beemva, stay.
What does the softly rounded overbite of the bonnet/lights have to do with any single other element of the styling?
One of the worst looking BM’s made, including any of the Bangle mangles.
We got them here as BM’s entry level, bought in small numbers by graspy snobs who’d probably buy an actual dog with wheels if it had that badge on it’s nose.
And now BMW has started the switch to FWD. They started, with of all things, a minivan and will slowly add models at the smallest end…sharing platforms with MINI.
BMW is already producing front-wheel drive BMW and MINI vehicles on the UKL2 platform, the 2 Series Active Tourer you mentioned, along with the 2015 BMW X1, 2016 MINI Clubman, 2017 MINI Countryman, 2017 1 Series sedan (China only), and 2018 BMW X2.
As of present, there are no plans to introduce any BMW-branded models on the smaller front-wheel drive UKL1 platform used exclusively by MINI. The current 1 Series hatch is still rear-wheel drive based for the time being.
Points to BMW for how they went about it. They were brilliant in getting the Mini brand in the first place (it seemed such an odd fit at the time) and then developing the Mini over three generations. Having made a great success of the Mini, which is known to have such a fantastic FWD chassis, and taken it steadily upmarket, now BMW uses that renowned chassis with their own badge. Instant FWD cred!
Interesting, I never knew that the e46 version of the compact was mechanically aligned with the other 3ers of its day… I always thought it was a laggard like the e36.
Still funny-looking, though.
The standard 3 series coupe was a nice car, but If you want a practical small but fun family car in Europe, the VW Golf GTI was one of the best, had a Mk 2 Golf GTI for 3 years , it was fun, fast on our roads and eminently practical, really all the car you needed.
I like sleek coupes but without doubt a hatchback is the most suitable car for European roads and cities, light and fuel efficient, dislike the inroads SUVs are making in Europe, don’t see the point
I think what hurt the BMW E36 Compact in the US was the fact that you could get a slightly-used and better-equipped “real” 3-series for about the same amount of money. The same problem affected sales of the Mercedes C230 hatchback. It’s a good thing we didn’t get the bugeye Bimmer.
I remember reading an article the U.K. magazine CAR when these were first shown to the public. It explained one of the higher ups at BMW wasn’t happy with the design sharing cues with the rest of the 3 series lineup, and a redo was ordered last minute. That’s how the Compact ended up with the split headlight front and clear tails. I’ve never seen one in person, but I like these in pictures. It does seem to be a very color sensitive car, however. The release photos showed a yellow-gold that seemed to work quite well:
I’ve seen a few. If that design element was used in a bigger car, the 7 series… It might have worked worked. Maybe a Bentleyesque feel would have been achieved