BMW Gives the Gas-Powered 3 Series the Same Look as the Electric i3 with Neue Klasse Design

BMW has unveiled the new gas-powered 3 Series, completing a family that also includes the fully electric i3. For the first time, combustion-engine cars and EVs share virtually the same exterior in the Neue Klasse style, even though they technically use different platforms and powertrains.

BMW says outright that the design of the new 3 Series should no longer depend on the type of engine. That’s why the gas versions get the same key cues as the electric i3: slim headlights, compact signature kidney grilles, flush door handles, a horizontal rear light bar and pronounced wheel arches.

The bodies aren’t entirely identical, though. Proportions, wheelbase, overhangs and some details differ because of the cars’ different technical layouts.

Details on the new generation were published in BMW’s official press release.

Even fewer differences inside

The interior of the gas 3 Series and the electric i3 are unified far more closely.

The centerpiece is the BMW Panoramic iDrive system. Panoramic Vision projects key information onto the lower part of the windshield across almost its entire width, and a separate 3D Head-Up Display is available at extra cost.

At the center sits a driver-oriented 17.9-inch touchscreen.

The infotainment system runs on BMW Operating System X, built on the Android Open Source Project. The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant voice assistant also gains Amazon Alexa+ integration for more natural conversations with the car.

The M350 xDrive gets 443 hp and a drift mode

At launch, the combustion lineup includes versions with four-cylinder gas engines and a 48-volt mild hybrid system.

The flagship among them will be the BMW M350 xDrive with a 3.0-liter inline-six. The powertrain makes 443 hp, and it goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds.

The M350 gets a Drift Moment mode. Once it’s activated via the center display, the car can send engine power to the rear wheels only, despite the xDrive all-wheel drive.

BMW will expand the family with a plug-in hybrid later.

The electric i3 goes up to 912 km

The fully electric BMW i3 uses sixth-generation eDrive technology, an 800-volt architecture and cylindrical battery cells.

The BMW i3 50 xDrive makes 469 hp and 645 Nm. A 108.7 kWh battery provides a claimed range of up to 912 km on the WLTP cycle.

Maximum fast-charging power reaches 400 kW. According to BMW’s calculations, ten minutes at a suitable station is enough to add up to 423 km of WLTP range.

There’s also a more affordable i3 40 xDrive with 374 hp, an 82.8 kWh battery and a range of up to 710 km.

The electric and gas parts of the family will be built at different plants: the i3 in Munich, the combustion-engine cars in Dingolfing.

The main change in the new 3 Series is precisely BMW’s approach to its lineup. EVs no longer get a deliberately separate look — buyers will be able to choose between gas, hybrid and electric without the car’s design changing dramatically.

BMW hasn’t yet disclosed exact prices or launch dates for all markets.