BMW has renewed one of its most famous and popular models, the 3 Series, with an update in terms of design, digitization and connectivity and equipment. The new BMW 3 Series 2022 incorporates novelties released in its brothers older, such as the double curved screen. There are no changes in the range of engines, which continues to maintain two plug-in hybrid engines whose price in Spain has already been announced.
At an aesthetic level, the changes affect the front and rear. The headlights have a new design and are now slimmer, and without the notch that they had before. The daytime running lights are inverted L-shaped and, if equipped with adaptive LED headlights, the headlights have blue accents.
The bumpers have also been redesigned. BMW’s signature double grille has new double bars and there is a higher proportion of surfaces painted in body colour. Exhaust pipes now measure 90 or 100 millimeters in diameter, depending on engine variant, and the range of wheels starts at 17-inches for standard trim. The M Sport package is also restyled with newly designed front and rear aprons.
The exterior color range has been expanded to include Skyscraper Gray metallic and M Brooklyn Gray metallic as part of the M Sport Package. Also added to the range are the special BMW Individual Frozen Pure Gray metallic and Frozen Tanzanite Blue metallic paint finishes. You can also choose from a selection of around 150 special BMW Individual paint finishes.
However, the biggest changes are inside. The new BMW 3 Series incorporates as standard the double curved screen that we have seen in other models of the brand. Behind the steering wheel, acting as a digital instrument panel, there is a 12.3-inch screen. Next to it is another 14.9-inch screen, from which practically everything is controlled. The number of buttons has been reduced to a minimum, in favor of touch and voice control, leaving just a few buttons on the dashboard to defog the windows.
With the new screens, the latest generation of the BMW iDrive system is incorporated with the Operating System 8, which has more connectivity options and higher data processing capacity. It is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the My BMW App allows, among other things, to control the charging process of the high-voltage battery of the plug-in hybrid models.
The eight-speed Steptronic transmission selector lever also has a new design. By the way, there is no longer a manual transmission in the Series 3: all engines come standard with the eight-speed Steptronic transmission. A Steptronic Sport transmission is available as an option, with sportier gear management and Launch Control function for optimized acceleration from a standstill.
Prices of the BMW 3 Series 2022 plug-in hybrid
The 2022 BMW 3 Series plug-in hybrid range consists of three versions: 320e and 330e with the Berlina body (both rear-wheel drive) and an all-wheel drive version with the family body, the 330e xDrive Touring. Below are the prices in Spain.
Sedan
- BMW 320e: 50,450 euros
- BMW 330e: 54,700 euros
touring
- BMW 330e xDrive Touring: 60,500 euros
Both models will be built at the BMW Group plant in Munich. The Berlina will also be manufactured at the BMW Group plant in San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and a variant of the saloon developed specifically for the Chinese market will be produced in Shenyang.
There are no changes in the engines, nor in the plug-in hybrids
As for engines there are no changes. The BMW 320e It has 204 hp and 350 Nm of torque, which allow it to do 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. The BMW 330e It delivers 292 hp of maximum power and 450 Nm of torque, which allows it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds.
The maximum power difference is due to the gasoline engine: although it is the same block (a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder), in the 320e it has 163 hp and in the 330e it delivers 184 hp. The torque figure of the combustion engine is the same in both versions, 400 Nm. In both cases, they homologate a combined fuel consumption of only 1.3 l/100 km. Of course they have Zero label of the DGT.
The electric motor is identical in both versions: it is located between the engine and the gearbox and offers 109 CV of power and 265 Nm of maximum torque. The battery, on the other hand, has 11.2 kWh of useful capacity and allows to homologate 62 kilometers of electric autonomy. It steals some space from the trunk: in the plug-in hybrid versions, the trunk of the Saloon has 375 liters of capacity and that of the Touring has 410 liters.
