3er now 5-up.
BMW has decided that the two variants of the 3-Series available locally are just not enough, and so they’ve phoned Germany and gotten three more models to fill up the 3-Series family. The new entrants come in the form of the 320i, the 330e iPerformance, and the range-topping M340i xDrive, and they’ll be here later this year.
The 320i marks the new entry point into the 3er lineup, while the M340i stands at the opposing end as the most indulgent version of the 3-Series. Prices will now begin at $64,990 for the base-model, rising to $99,990 for the all-wheel drive not-an-M3.
The base 320i will be motivated by a 2.0-lite 4-cylinder turbo-petrol, offering up 135kW and 300Nm, with power going rearwards via an 8-speed ZF box. Claimed century sprint time is 7.2-seconds.
Spec-wise you can expect to see lower M-Sport suspension, 18-inch twin-tone alloys, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.25-inch iDrive screen. You also get the Driving Assistant ADAS suite (lane-departure alert, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, roadsign recognition, AEB with collision warning), as well as wireless smartphone charging, adaptive LED headlights with automatic high-beam, and wireless Apple CarPlay.
Move up to the mid-range 330e iPerformance plug-in hybrid, and it’ll relieve you of $74,900 for the pleasure. You get the same 2.0-litre mill from the base model, but on top of that, there’s a 10.3kWh Li-Ion battery pack. Combined output is 185kW and 420Nm, while XtraBoost overboost (in Sport mode) will add another 30kW for short bursts. Century sprint is rated at 5.9-seconds, though if you’re gentle, you should be able to tease out 60km of zero-emissions driving in return for 2.5-hours of wall-plug charging.
The 330e iPerformance wears most of the kit from the 330i, and so you get 19-inch M alloys, keyless entry and go, M-Sport brakes & adaptive suspension, Vernasca leather upholstery, Driving Assistant Professional (as per 320i, but with adaptive cruise control & lane keep assist), and a surround-view camera.
The range is capped by the M340i xDrive, which as we said earlier, will be the not-an-M3 option for the time being. The sole 6-cylinder option, the M340i xDrive finds power from a 3.0-litre turbo that puts out a healthy 285kW and 500Nm, which is enough to propel the thing from 0-100km/h in just 4.4-seconds. The transmission on offer is a specially-tuned version of the 8-speed ZF box, which features shortened ratios for more aggressive acceleration.
You also get an M-Sport rear differential for added traction, as well as an electric boot, faux-leather dashboard trim, an ambient lighting system, heated front seats with lumbar support (yeah, the rest of them don’t get lumbar), Vernasca leather upholstery, 16-spear Harman/Kardon audio system, anthracite roofliner, M340i badging, and Aluminium Tetragon brightwork.
The M340i xDrive rides on 19-inch alloys, and features BMW’s latest Laserlight headlight technology.
| Model | MSRP |
| BMW 320i | $64,990 |
| BMW 320d | $67,900 |
| BMW 330i | $70,900 |
| BMW 330e iPerformance | $75,900 |
| BMW M340i xDrive | $99,900 |
The new 3-Series models are available to order from your local BMW dealership today, with deliveries set to take place from the beginning of September.
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