Preview: 2027 BMW 3 Series and Electric i3 Sedans Introduce New Look, Bold Tech

BMW has something for every luxury compact sport sedan buyer: Purists can opt for refreshed four- or six-cylinder gas engines, while the i3 debuts a new platform that BMW is calling Neue Klasse. The name translates to “new class,” a nod to the automaker’s original Neue Klasse of automobiles that went on sale in 1962. Those cars redefined BMW for a new postwar era, and sold so well that they saved the company from financial ruin.

While today’s Neue Klasse might be similarly revolutionary for the BMW brand, we suspect it will attract more buyers when it underpins future SUV models.

As much as we’re nostalgic for the cars that graced enthusiast magazine covers in the 1980s, ‘90s, and early 2000s, it seems that the era of the mainstream luxury sport sedan is mostly over. BMW sold about half as many 3 Series vehicles in the U.S. in 2025 as it did in 2016, reflecting a consumer shift to SUVs like the automaker’s own X3. Audi recently combined the A4 and A5 into a single luxury sport compact Voltron. The Infiniti Q50 is dead, and the aging Lexus IS is withering on the vine. No matter the model, that back seat sure looks small, and most buyers who spend $50,000 on a new car these days seem to prefer space over sportiness. 

Based on what we’ve learned so far, however, those who do opt for the new 3 Series will likely enjoy themselves, as long as all that new technology doesn’t prove more frustrating than it’s worth.

To us, the new 3 Series looks like a mashup of various BMW models, past and present, and it’s impossible to talk about them without using BMW-fan buzzwords. The side silhouette is unmistakably a 3 Series, thanks to the “Hofmeister kink”—a slight angle at the base of the passenger window named after former BMW design chief Wilhelm Hofmeister. Unfortunately, the car has automatically extending flush door handles, which we think are a needlessly complex addition to any vehicle.

The front has a less-pronounced version of BMW’s “twin kidney” grille, but the angle is similar to the “sharknose” BMWs of the ‘60s and ‘70s, like the legendary 3.0 CSL. From the rear, it shares much of its look with the current BMW 7 Series flagship sedan. Optional lighting packages can display welcome animations on the head and tail lights.

Various M Sport trims add aerodynamic side skirts and diffusers on gas vehicles, and different light signatures on the i3.

Because they use distinct underlying designs, the gas 3 Series and electric i3 have slightly different proportions: The gas car has a tad higher ground clearance, but the roof is a little lower, while the electric car is a little wider and has a longer wheelbase.

As with the iX3, the 3 Series and i3 have a dashboard that is defined by a 17.9-inch rhombus-shaped central infotainment touchscreen that BMW calls a “free-cut Central Display.” It is canted slightly toward the driver, and it allows for customized menus and widgets based on the driver’s preferences, just like your phone’s home screen. Users can also customize sounds and lights, including interior lighting.

Behind the center-dash infotainment screen is a long, horizontal display at the base of the windshield for BMW’s new Panoramic Vision iDrive system. It’s also a throwback to the wide, thin dashboards of older BMWs, and it isn’t a screen. Rather, it’s a single black printed surface onto which customizable information is projected. It sits closer than where a head-up display would typically appear, although BMW also offers an optional 3D head-up display that can augment navigation with moving arrows and relevant data. 

Dodge, Mini, and Toyota already offer buyers a choice between gas and electric versions of very similar vehicles. Now, it’s BMW’s turn.

At launch, the gas-powered 3 Series comes in two trim levels, both of which have a 48-volt mild hybrid setup and twin-scroll superchargers:

• At the top of the line is the M350 xDrive, which has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder gas engine that is good for 437 hp and 428 lb.-ft. of torque, which is a huge bump from the current M340i xDrive’s 386 hp. (Yes, BMW dropped the “i” from its gas-powered vehicles.) It has a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, and BMW says it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.

• The 330 and 330 xDrive are both powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 255 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, same as the outgoing model. As its name suggests, the 330 xDrive has all-wheel drive, while the 330 is rear-wheel drive. Both can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, according to BMW.

BMW says it has upgraded the 3 Series’ steering, suspension, and chassis technology for better ride quality and sharper handling. Adaptive suspensions and sport steering are available.

The i3 also has two trim levels: The i3 50 xDrive uses dual electric motors for all-wheel drive. It’s rated at 463 hp and 476 lb.-ft. of torque, and has a BMW-estimated EPA driving range of between 446 and 468 miles between charges. There aren’t any details about the more powerful i3 M60 xDrive, which goes on sale in 2027. The automaker claims 800-volt charging allows drivers to add around 200 miles of range in 10 minutes at a compatible public DC fast charger.

The 3 Series and i3 come standard with blind spot warning (BSW) and rear cross traffic warning (RCTW) with rear automatic emergency braking (RAEB). An exit warning feature can prevent occupants from opening doors in the path of oncoming cyclists. Additional driver and parking assistance functions can be downloaded from the BMW ConnectedDrive Store.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) with stop and go and lane centering assistance (LCA) can work together as part of BMW’s Driving Assistant Plus feature. The 3 Series also debuts a new feature called Symbiotic Drive. It’s what Consumer Reports and others call “collaborative.” When enabled, it will help maintain the car within lane lines or keep a set speed or distance, but it will not disconnect if the driver adjusts the steering wheel or speed. BMW says the Panoramic View iDrive system will clearly display which driving assistance features are activated.