We’re Finally Going To See The New BMW 3 Series This Week

• Neue Klasse looks, old-school power: The next 3 Series pairs a fresh look with four- and six- cylinder gas engines.
• Until a new M3 arrives later this decade, the top version will be an M350 xDrive.
• The 3 Series debuts tomorrow night in the United States, or Wednesday morning in Europe.

The BMW 3 Series is about to enter a new era, and this one will be quite different. The eighth-generation sedan, internally known as the G50, will make its world debut later this week, bringing massive exterior styling changes and a radically different cabin that borrows heavily from the fully electric i3.

That doesn’t mean BMW has made two different versions of the same car, as the 3 Series and i3 ride on completely separate platforms. The combustion-engine versions stick to the long-running CLAR architecture, while their zero-emission cousins are underpinned by Neue Klasse, the same bones used for the iX3. From the outside, however, they should look remarkably similar.

At the same time, the interior will be cut from the same cloth, meaning even fewer physical controls and a big focus on screens. Logic tells us the 3 Series will be more cramped than the i3 since it’ll definitely still have a hump in the floor to accommodate the driveshaft and exhaust. Consequently, people sitting in the back are unlikely to have as much room as in the i3 with its completely flat floor.

The Not-Quite-M3 Debuts Soon

Although this week’s premiere won’t include the full-fat M3, we'll see its M Lite sibling, the quad-pipe M350 xDrive. It’ll replace today’s M340i xDrive with a more powerful inline-six engine and a rear-wheel-drive mode. However, the latter won’t be available initially, with an over-the-air update planned for 2027 to unlock RWD. BMW has already announced there won’t be any other six-cylinder 3 Series model (well, other than the M3), so Europe's diesel-fueled M340d is dead.

Lower down the lineup, expect a mix of four-cylinder gas engines and plug-in hybrid powertrains, while the future of diesels looks increasingly uncertain. We are also not holding our breath for a manual gearbox, as even the next-generation M3 might come exclusively with two pedals. On the flip side, another wagon should be coming, as an internal codename has already emerged: G51.

The New Gas 3 Series Won't Be Made In Munich

One interesting fact that BMW has already revealed in the buildup to the sedan’s reveal is that its new 3 Series will use recycled materials for a quarter of its construction. We also know it’ll be the first 3er ever that the company won’t make at the historic plant in Munich, with production moving to Dingolfing. Then again, the i3 is labeled as a member of the 3 Series family, so you could say the luxury automaker isn’t technically about to break with tradition.

The G50 is shaping up to be a fascinating 3 Series, if only because BMW seems determined to make the nameplate work for a car-buying audience that has changed dramatically since the G20 arrived. With the 3 Series and i3, BMW can satisfy EV buyers, PHEV shoppers, and old-school enthusiasts who still want the rear wheels to do the pushing.

The new 3 Series will break cover on the evening of September 29 in the U.S. or very early on September 30 in Europe.

2027 BMW 3 Series camouflaged prototype of M350 xDrive

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Source: BMW

Motor1's Take: BMW is effectively giving customers two very different routes into the same family, rather than forcing everyone onto one type of powertrain. Whether that strategy works will depend heavily on how well the combustion-powered car can embrace the new technology without losing the qualities that made the 3 Series such a benchmark in the first place.

Perhaps that's the biggest question hanging over the G50. BMW can add screens, software, over-the-air upgrades, electrification, and recycled materials all day long. But when the dust settles, people will still expect a 3 Series to feel like a 3 Series. The new one has quite a lot to prove, and if the M350 xDrive is any indication, BMW hasn't lost its mojo.

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