BMW has given its 3 Series saloon and ‘Touring’ estate range several mechanical tweaks and additional visual options, as part of an update that removes diesel engine options.
This is the second facelift to arrive for the seventh-generation 3 Series, which notably slims down the car’s engine line-up to two petrol options and a plug-in hybrid. Diesel engines are no longer available new from the showroom.
BMW will argue that the biggest change to the range is the introduction of a bigger 20kWh battery for the ‘330e’ plug-in hybrid, which now offers a 63-mile electric-only range. The brand adds that this new “high energy density” battery offers “major increase in system efficiency” with no compromise to cabin or boot space.
The ‘330e’ is now also available with faster 11kW three-phase charging, which can charge this battery from empty to full in two hours and 15 minutes.
BMW says that the car’s chassis has been revised too, to “further enhance the balance between sporting agility and comfort”. These chassis revisions will reportedly mean that “drivers will enjoy a notable increase in comfort across all driving situations”, and reduce road noise when the car is driving on loose terrain or more bumpy road surfaces.
There are no changes to the car’s exterior design, but the manufacturer has added some additional paint options, alloy wheel choices and interior fabrics to the options list.
Speaking of the interior, the 3 Series now comes with the brand’s ‘Operating System 8.5’ infotainment, which has ‘quick select’ touchscreen buttons for easy access to ventilation and climate control functions. There are no physical switches or toggles for the climate control – these have been moved to the touchscreen.
The steering wheel, which is lighter to turn after BMW’s mechanical tweaks, comes with illuminated multi-function buttons and shift paddles for manual interventions against the eight-speed automatic gearbox. The design of the steering wheel also differs between standard ‘Sport’ and ‘M Sport’ models, with the three-spoke design shown below fitted with the ‘M Sport’ trim.
The 3 Series options list also includes some ‘M Performance’ parts, which gives the saloon or estate the looks of BMW’s M models without the performance for a more affordable price than opting for a proper M3.
BMW says that this latest 3 Series iteration is set to go into production in July, with the first UK customer orders arriving this Summer. Pricing begins at just north of £39k (without on-the-road costs, which are yet to be announced) rising to nearly £48k for the ‘330e’ in the ‘Touring’ estate body style.
The BMW 3 Series currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75%. It has an excellent safety score, low CO2 emissions and has received many positive media reviews, but ownership values are less flattering – reliability is historically poor for the 3 Series, while running costs are high.
