I think they wanted to compete more aggressively against BMW and the like, as they do not have any 4 cylinders in the current 3 series.

I think a DOHC V6 instead of a low displacement 4 cylinder for the same price is a pretty good deal.

__________________
Ali Al-Chalabi

2001 CLK55
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel
2002 Harley-Davidson Fatboy
Merlin Extralight w/ Campy Record