The all-new BMW 3 Series has finally made its global debut, with headlines reading a retention of the beloved six-cylinder engine underneath a completely new skin that takes inspiration from the brand's latest Neue Klasse design language. BMW led the reveal of the all-new 3 Series generation by showcasing an all-electric model, which had everyone shocked; but fear not, the Bavarians clearly have a plan to cater to all kinds of markets.
Is the ICE powered 3 series the same as the i3
Although the new 3 Series generation debuts a new fascia that was first seen with the reveal of the i3, it is worth noting that the new ICE-powered version of the sedan will not be based on the same platform as the i3 since that is based on the Neue Klasse platform, which is dedicated solely to EV vehicles, while the ICE 3 will be based on the CLAR platform, which is solely made for internal combustion engines.
The looks of the new 3 series
Whilst the 3 Series gains a new Neue Klasse appearance, notably, the vehicle is slightly bigger in dimensions when compared to its predecessor. Being a 3 Series, BMW has made sure that the car still encapsulates a more sports-oriented vehicle in its appearance, thanks to the adoption of short overhangs, a long nose, and muscular wheel arches, which all combine to give the car an unmistakable silhouette.
Changes to the exterior include the inclusion of the Neue Klasse body design, which starts at the front where you find an encased kidney grille design that integrates the optional iconic light-up conjoined along with twin headlights that have yellow signature DRLs on the top-of-the-range M models. Lower down the front, the vehicle gains a more aggressive and quite large radiator cooling bumper, which is garnished with a gloss black embellishment that is very noticeable almost everywhere on the vehicle, as there is little to no chrome found on the exterior.
Arguable BMW make some of the best wheel designs in the motor industry and they seem to have kept this good habit up with the 3 series as they have noted that customers will be opened to choosing through a total of nine different light-alloy wheels or aerodynamic wheels in sizes from 19 to 21 inches for between the i3 and ICE version of the new BMW 3 Series. Exterior colors also receive additions like M Le Castellet Blue metallic, Eucalyptus Green adding to make the total number to choose from eleven.
If you feel that it is far too regular, then the Germans have offered the option of picking through the M Sport exterior package, which adds sportier design cues to the vehicle in the form of additional shades and decals. Some more M package items added to the exterior of the vehicle are M-specific bumpers, skirts, and an M-specific diffuser.
The now sculpted and more curvaceous rear of the car adopts the same minimalist slim horizontal light first seen on the i3, which almost spans the entire width of the boot lid. Additionally, M350 xDrive derivatives enjoy the presence of a quad tailpipe arrangement on the lower bumper, tucked in between a more aggressive model-specific diffuser, which is usually clean and has no exposed pipes on the lower-spec models.
The interior of the new 3 series
Whilst the Bavarian brand tried its utmost best to ensure distinction between the cabins found in the i3 and the ICE version, the cabin remains the same this is not a bad thing since the car also gains BMW's latest Neue Klasse interior. In fact, the most noticeable change or adaptation in the entire cabin has to be the presence of a transmission tunnel between the front passenger and the driver's seat, as this has a gearbox and the i3 does not.
For equipment the 3 series has the massive 17.9-inch touchscreen running the latest BMW iDrive system which has neat tricks like Intelligent voice control with a self-learning BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, enhanced by Amazon’s Alexa+ AI technology1 for natural communication.
The driver's display will give way to the pillar-to-pillar BMW Panoramic Vision windshield display, which employs newly developed technology to project content across the entire width of the lower area of the windscreen. Although the vehicle gains a dual-zone automatic climate control system, due to the minimalistic nature of the cabin, the car will experience the complete removal of physical climate dials. The car also debuts a new steering wheel, which has a central spoke in its upper section and comes with Shy Tech panels, which are fancy for transparent haptic feedback buttons instead of opaque physical buttons.
Also, as an addition to something the ICE version will have over the i3, are the seats. The 3 Series will have three distinct seat options that are completely unavailable on the i3, including highly aggressive M-Performance bucket seats wrapped in Veganza or Alcantara. The seats themselves, which are standard with electric adjustment including a memory function, will be positioned lower in the cabin, giving you a traditional, low-slung, sporty driving position with more overall front headroom.
Family practicality is still a topic that BMW hasn't neglected this can be seen in the versatility of the rear seating arrangement. The rear seat backrests of all drive variants can be split/folded 40:20:40, and the new BMW 3 Series has a boot capacity of 450 liters, meaning groceries and luggage are dealt with easily.
Some more worthy elements to note in the cabin is firstly the Harman Kardon hi-fi system which will come as standard on all versions of the 3 series. Second to note is the flexibility of color schemes that will be made available and there are four of those to choose from including Vivid Grey, Digital White, Castanea,Agave Green, Black and Adelaide Grey.
Engine options for the new 3 series
For the ICE version, there will be three engines on offer all of which will be paired to a 48V and the saddest news is that there has been no diesel engine in the list meaning that there likely not going to be one introduced in the new 3 series. The first engine will be available in the BMW 318, this will be a four cylinder petrol engine producing 115 kW and 250 Nm which shall drive the rear wheels only. Second up the list is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder in-line petrol unit which produces 155 kW and 330 Nm.
The star of the show is the M350 xDrive which will host a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol unit and 48V mild hybrid technology, generates 326 kW and 580 Nm. It is said to power from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and goes on to reach an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
BMW South Africa has since confirmed that only the M350 xDrive, 320, and i3 50 xDrive / M350 xDrive will be the only three options available in Mzansi, leaving out the 318. The 3 Series is expected to launch in the middle of 2027, which will be the second Neue Klasse model available in South Africa.