2016 BMW 3 Series receives key updates

It's hard to believe the latest BMW 3 Series has been out long enough to need updating. But BMW has announced that the car will get a thorough freshening for 2016.

Top on the list of updates is a new six-cylinder engine that will subsequently make its way into other BMW models. Employing BMW's TwinPower turbo setup, the new engine displaces the same 3.0 liters as the outgoing unit, but produces 20 more horsepower and 30 more lb.-ft. of torque, for a total output of 320 hp and 330 lb.-ft., respectively. With BMW's model designations now disconnected from engine size, this top-of-the-line 3 Series is now christened the 340i, replacing the 335i. (The M3 and M4 remain the ultimate, high-performance versions of the platform.)

The other new powertrain is a plug-in hybrid, dubbed the 330e, which BMW says will have a 22-mile electric range. It will likely use the combination 9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine from the BMW X5 eDrive. BMW says it will have 250 hp and an impressive 0-60 mph acceleration time of 6.1 seconds. (The plug-in hybrid replaces the ActiveHybrid3.)

In an acknowledgement that handling in the current 3 Series has been softened perhaps beyond BMW buyers' expectations, the suspension for the updated model is said to be retuned for sportier performance, reduced body lean, and more steering feedback and precision. Whether you order the base, M Sport, or Adaptive M suspension, the front and rear setups get updated geometry and new struts. A new Track Handling package is available on gas-powered models only.

BMW also says that both the six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions have been revised for greater efficiency and smoother shifts. The automatic also gets wider ratios for better fuel efficiency.

Electronic updates include parking assistance that can drive you into both perpendicular and parallel parking spaces. The navigation system gains the ability to update automatically over the air on the car's LTE wireless connection. BMW explains that new processors allow routes to calculate more quickly, maps to load faster and, display more 3D graphics. With "EcoPro," the navigation system can guide you to the most efficient routes, and the car automatically adapts transmission shift points to suit terrain.

The 3 Series Sports Wagon soldiers on and gets all the same updates.

The current 3 Series was our sports sedan Top Pick last year, but some reliability issues booted it off our current list. Let's hope BMW improved the 3's reliability, as well.

The 2016 BMW 3 Series goes on sale in August.

Read our latest BMW 3 Series and 4 Series road tests.

—Eric Evarts