BMW has revealed the eighth-generation 3 Series, code-named G50, on 29 September 2026. It takes the Neue Klasse design and cabin of the electric i3 and puts them on petrol cars too, so for the first time the combustion 3 Series and the electric one look like the same car. BMW says the two differ only in details that reflect the drive system.
The launch range
| Power | Torque | 0-100 km/h | US MSRP | Canada MSRP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW 330 | 255 hp | 400 Nm | not published | $49,900 | not offered |
| BMW 330 xDrive | 255 hp | 400 Nm | 6.1 s | $51,900 | $61,500 |
| BMW M350 xDrive | 437 hp | 580 Nm | 4.1 s | $65,900 | $78,500 |
| BMW i3 50 xDrive | 463 hp | 645 Nm | 4.7 s | $61,500 | $74,900 |
US prices exclude $1,350 destination. The petrol cars are all limited to 250 km/h on performance tyres.
Two things are worth pointing out in that table. The electric i3 50 xDrive is cheaper in the US than the M350 xDrive, and the rear-drive 330 is a US-only car: BMW Canada lists only the 330 xDrive. BMW also says a plug-in hybrid joins the range over the coming year, and an i3 M60 xDrive follows in 2027.
M350 xDrive
The M340i's replacement keeps the 3.0-litre straight-six and adds 48-volt mild hybrid, with a starter generator in the gearbox housing worth up to 17 hp. BMW USA puts it at 437 hp and 428 lb-ft against the M340i's 386 hp. It uses xDrive and an eight-speed Steptronic Sport, and does 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds.
The chassis gets a tower-to-front-end strut, improved anti-roll bar mounting and its own spring and damper tuning, plus a standard rear spoiler and four tailpipes. The optional M Yellow Lights, the yellow lights in the photographs, are BMW's nod to its GT race cars and the M Hybrid V8.
Drift Moment, the mode that sends all drive to the rear wheels with DSC off, is still not a launch feature. BMW says it comes during 2027 by software update.
330 and 330 xDrive
Both use a 2.0-litre four with a belt-driven 48-volt starter generator, 255 hp and 295 lb-ft, and an eight-speed Steptronic. BMW USA quotes 5.9 seconds to 60 mph for both. BMW's global release also shows a BMW 320 for other markets, but it is not in the US or Canadian price lists.
All the petrol engines run the Miller cycle and have switchable exhaust valves. BMW says the valves cut engine drag torque by about 66 percent, which lets the mild-hybrid system recover more energy under recuperation.
Inside
There is no instrument cluster behind the wheel. Panoramic Vision projects driving information across the full width of the base of the windscreen, with an optional 3D head-up display above it and a 17.9-inch central touchscreen angled towards the driver. The software is BMW Operating System X, built on Android, and the voice assistant uses Amazon's Alexa+. The steering wheel has a top spoke for the first time on a 3 Series, and the M350 gets the M wheel with its flattened rim. A panoramic glass roof is standard.
Where it is built
The i3 is built in Munich, where the first 3 Series came off the line in 1975. The petrol cars are built in Dingolfing, and from 2027 Munich will build only electric cars. BMW says it has sold more than 18 million 3 Series.
We have added the 330, 330 xDrive and M350 xDrive to our 3 Series page, alongside the outgoing G20 cars while they remain on sale.
Sources: BMW Group PressClub, "The new BMW 3 Series": global, USA and Canada releases, 29 and 30 September 2026. Photographs: BMW AG.