A series of 2.0-liter BMW B48 gasoline engines has been produced by the company since 2014 and is installed on almost the entire modern model range of the German automaker. Two versions of the motor differ: B48A20 – for cars with front-wheel drives and B48B20 – with rear ones.
BMW B48 gasoline engines began to replace their counterparts in the N20 family from 2014. There is direct fuel injection, an aluminum cylinder block with a closed cooling jacket and plasma spraying in the cylinders, an aluminum 16-valve cylinder head with hydraulic lifters, equipped with a Valvetronic system, a timing chain drive, and Vanos-type phase shifters on the intake and exhaust camshafts. Also, among the features of the unit, we note a pair of gear-driven balance shafts, an intercooler integrated into the intake manifold, a controlled thermostat, a Bosch MG1 ECU and a Twin Scroll MHI TD04LR6W turbine with a separate cooling circuit, radiator and pump.
In 2018, an updated modification of the unit appeared, which is usually called the B48TU. The new engines received a lightweight crankshaft, a different auxiliary equipment drive, an exhaust manifold built into the head of the block, injection pressure increased to 350 bar, an upgraded cooling system, a simplified timing drive with one chain instead of two, and a more modern Bosch DME 8th generation electronic engine control unit.
All modifications of power units are divided into two large sections according to the type of drive.
B48A20U1: 178 hp, 280 Nm, compression ratio 11.0. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 1-Series F40 since 2020;
- BMW 2-Series F44 since 2020; 2-Series F45 in 2020 – 2021; 2-Series F46 since 2020;
- BMW X1 F48 since 2020;
- BMW X2 F39 since 2020.
B48A20M0: 192 hp, 280 Nm, compression ratio 11.0. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 2-Series F45 in 2014 – 2018; 2-Series F46 in 2015 – 2018;
- BMW X1 F48 in 2015 – 2017.
B48A20M1: 192 hp, 280 Nm, compression ratio 11.0. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 2-Series F45 in 2018 – 2020; 2-Series F46 in 2018 – 2020;
- BMW X1 F48 in 2017 – 2020;
- BMW X2 F39 in 2018 – 2020.
B48A20O0: 231 hp, 350 Nm, compression ratio 10.2. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 2-Series F45 in 2014 – 2021;
- BMW X1 F48 in 2015 – 2022.
B48A20T1: 306 hp, 450 Nm, compression ratio 9.5. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 1-Series F40 since 2019;
- BMW 2-Series F44 since 2020;
- BMW X2 F39 since 2019.
B48B20U1: 156 hp, 250 Nm, compression ratio 11.0. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 3-Series G20 since 2020.
B48B20M0: 184 hp, 290 Nm, compression ratio 11.0. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 1-Series F20 in 2016 – 2019;
- BMW 2-Series F22 in 2016 – 2021;
- BMW 3-Series F30 in 2015 – 2018;
- BMW 4-Series F32 in 2016 – 2021;
- BMW 5-Series G30 since 2017;
- BMW X3 G01 in 2017 – 2021;
- BMW X4 G02 in 2017 – 2021.
B48B20M1: 184 hp, 300 Nm, compression ratio 11.0. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 2-Series G42 since 2021;
- BMW 3-Series G20 since 2019;
- BMW 4-Series G22 since 2020;
- BMW X3 G01 since 2021;
- BMW X4 G02 since 2021;
- BMW Z4 G29* since 2019.
* on the Z4 model, this motor develops 197 hp, 320 Nm.
B48B20O0: 252 hp, 350 Nm, compression ratio 10.2. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 1-Series F20* in 2016 – 2019;
- BMW 2-Series F22 in 2016 – 2021;
- BMW 3-Series F30 in 2015 – 2018;
- BMW 4-Series F32 in 2016 – 2021;
- BMW 5-Series G30 since 2017;
- BMW 6-Series G32 in 2017 – 2020;
- BMW X3 G01 since 2017;
- BMW X4 G02 since 2017.
* on the 125i model, this motor develops 224 hp, 310 Nm.
B48B20O1: 258 hp, 400 Nm, compression ratio 10.2. The engine was installed on:
- BMW 3-Series G20 since 2019;
- BMW 4-Series G22 since 2020;
- BMW 6-Series G32 since 2020;
- BMW 7-Series G11 since 2019;
- BMW X5* G05 since 2019;
- BMW X6* G06 since 2019;
- BMW Z4 G29 since 2019.
* on X5 and X6 models, this motor develops 265 hp, 400 Nm.
Specifications
| Production years | since 2014 |
| Displacement, cc | 1998 |
| Fuel system | direct injection |
| Power output, hp | 156 – 306 |
| Torque output, Nm | 250 – 450 |
| Cylinder block | aluminum R4 |
| Block head | aluminum 16v |
| Cylinder bore, mm | 82 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 94.6 |
| Compression ratio | 9.5 – 11.0 |
| Hydraulic lifters | yes |
| Timing drive | chain |
| Phase regulator | Vanos |
| Turbocharging | yes |
| Recommended engine oil | 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30, 5W-40 |
| Engine oil capacity, liter | 5.25 |
| Fuel type | petrol |
| Euro standards | EURO 6 |
| Fuel consumption, L/100 km (for 320i F30) — city — highway — combined |
7.9 4.8 5.9 |
| Engine lifespan, km | ~250 000 |
Disadvantages of the B48B20 / B48A20 engine
- Compared to their predecessors, the B48 series engines are no longer so prone to oil consumption, however, closer to 100,000 km, valve stem seals often tan and consumption appears.
- Floating idle speed or the regular occurrence of lean mixture errors hint at the failure of the fuel tank ventilation valve. But it is inexpensive.
- In 2019, a recall campaign was carried out to replace defective B48 series motors. It was a defect in the needle bearings that support the balancers.
- These units are demanding on the quality of the fuel used and the frequency of oil changes, and the savings often turn into extremely expensive repairs or engine replacements.
