BMW Confirms The Next 3 Series Will Keep Plug-In Hybrid Power
Article Summary
- Aside from four- and six-cylinder combustion engines, the upcoming 3 Series will continue to have a PHEV setup.
- It’s likely to pair an updated B48 engine with an electric motor and a battery pack.
- The new 3 Series will break cover at the end of September.
BMW has already shown us the first member of the next-generation 3 Series family: the all-electric i3 (NA0). However, those not ready to switch to EVs won’t be left behind. BMW Italy President and CEO Sergio Solero has confirmed that BMW will also offer the new 3 Series (G50) with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Speaking at the 2026 Turin Motor Show, where the i3 and X5 made their Italian debut, Solero said the new 3 Series will continue to combine a combustion engine with an electric motor and a battery pack. Of course, that shouldn’t come as a major surprise. BMW has repeatedly stressed the importance of offering customers different powertrain options depending on their needs, and the next-generation 3 Series is shaping up to be a prime example of its “Power of Choice” strategy.
BMW hasn’t provided technical details about the G50 as a PHEV yet, but an evolution of the current 330e setup would make sense. The outgoing G20 model uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission, and a 19.5-kWh usable battery. It produces a combined 292 horsepower and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque.
Expect The Plug-In Hybrid 3 Series To Go Farther Without Sipping Gas
The current-generation 330e Sedan can travel up to 101 kilometers (63 miles) on electric power according to the WLTP cycle, while the slightly heavier xDrive version manages up to 96 km (60 miles). The next-generation 3 Series PHEV will likely improve on those numbers, potentially pushing its electric range well beyond 100 kilometers (62 miles). Engineers could achieve that through a more efficient powertrain, further battery development, and efficiency gains from the Neue Klasse’s broader technological overhaul.
It’s worth emphasizing that BMW has not announced the new PHEV’s battery capacity or electric range yet. Hence, anything beyond the current 101-km (63-mile) benchmark remains an expectation rather than a confirmed figure.
Diesel Likely To Continue For One More Generation
BMW hasn’t announced any diesel engines, but we do know the M340d won’t live to see another generation since the B57 isn’t continuing in the 3 Series. The smaller B47 with four cylinders and 2.0 liters of displacement is likely to be the sole oil-burner available for the eighth-generation luxury sedan.
The new 3er will make its world debut at the end of the month before entering production shortly afterward at BMW’s Dingolfing plant in Germany. Looking ahead, the already confirmed i3 Touring (NA1) could be followed by another 3 Series wagon with combustion engines, but the G51 isn’t official until BMW says so.
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments