BMW Série 3 2022

Body, cabin and cargo space

Apart from the charging port door, the body reveals no sign of the BMW 330e’s electric powertrain. The same goes for the cabin, except for the specific instrumentation and a “Hybrid” button on the centre console.

The BMW 330e is therefore as roomy inside as the other 3 Series cars. It can accommodate a young family if the front seats are not pushed back too far. However, with just 373 litres of trunk volume, passengers will have some tough choices to make about the luggage they bring. The lithium-ion battery accounts for a loss of more than 100 litres of trunk volume relative to the gasoline-only versions.

In any event, front occupants will have to cope with very low seating and an overly intrusive centre console. The highly adjustable sport seats provide remarkable support on long road trips, but the firm padding and long bottom cushion may not be to the liking of certain drivers.

A wide choice of trims and colours adds to the rich finish and impeccable fit of the interior. Crystal-clear screens combine with a good number of physical buttons and a large knob on the console to control the main functions. The interface requires some getting used to, but it is still among the most simple and logical of the prestigious brands.

However, BMW needs to work on the defrosting in cold or very humid conditions; windows fog up quickly unless the windshield defroster is going full blast. The base audio system also could be better, for a car that easily costs over $60,000.

Other highlights

Convenience: heated steering wheel, keyless entry and lumbar support are bundled in an options package; they should be standard in a $50k-plus car.

Instrumentation: very clear all-digital display. Information is abundant almost to the point of distraction. The steering wheel hides the top part of the instruments for tall drivers. The excellent head-up display compensates but is optional.

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, fade compensation and automatic disc drying
• Stability and traction control
• Hill start assist
• Front airbags
• Front knee airbags
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Five adjustable head restraints
• Rearview camera
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking
• Blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, automatic reverse braking and speed limit display (standard, 330i, 330e xDrive and M340i; unavailable, 330e)
• Front and rear parking sensors (standard, 330i, 330e xDrive and M340i; optional, 330e)
• Adaptive cruise control (included in Driving Assistance Package, M340i; optional, 330i and 330e xDrive; unavailable, 330)
• Lane keeping system (included in Driving Assistance Package, M340i; unavailable, other models)
• Semi-automatic parking and surround view monitoring (included in Premium Enhanced, Premium Excellence and Advanced Driving Assistance packages)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 5 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 5 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

IIHS Top Safety Pick

Visibility

The glassed surface is adequate, but the low driving position and long, plunging hood make it difficult to situate the extremities. Surround view monitoring system facilitates parking. With outside mirrors that are too small and thick B-pillars, the blind spot monitoring system proves very useful.

Headlights: the standard LED headlights obtained a 1/4 score in testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety because of insufficient reach. However, the curve-adaptive LED projectors with laser light high beams received the top score for their overall exemplary lighting.

Mechanical overview

The big news since our evaluation of the updated BMW 3 Series, in 2020, is the 330e hybrid drivetrain. The relatively simple recipe adds an electric motor and lithium-ion battery to the 3 Series turbo 2.0‑litre four-cylinder. Combined output is 288 horsepower, 33 more than the gas-only version powering the 330i. The 310 pound-feet of torque slightly exceeds that of the combustion engine.

The 12 kWh battery lodges under the rear bench and front of the trunk. According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), it is good for up to 32 km of all-electric range with all-wheel drive. NRCan indicates a charging time of 3 hours with a level 2 charger (240 volts). BMW puts it at close to 11 hours with a 120-volt residential charger. Like most plug-in hybrids, the 330e is incompatible with fast-charging stations.

The battery adds 166 kg to the weight of a 330i. That explains the 330e’s slightly slower acceleration, according to BMW specs, and the 13-percent higher fuel-consumption, as rated by NRCan, when the battery is depleted.

However, taking full advantage of the electric driving range can drop gas consumption below that of the 330i. During our summer test, we consistently exceeded NRCan’s estimated range of 32 km before the gas engine cut in. During a 237‑km highway run, we drove 49 km on the battery alone, lowering gas consumption to 5.2 L/100 km.

Driving impressions

In our test of the BMW 330i and the BMW M340i in 2020, we were thrilled by the precise and dynamic drive; stable on the highway, incisive on a sinuous road. The ride, on the other hand, was firm to the point of annoyance for certain people.

Good news: the plug-in hybrid variant attenuates the irritation of that firmness. The rear suspension absorbs bumps better than on the gas models without affecting road holding in the least. The weight of the battery improves traction without hampering the excellent steering because it is situated entirely at the rear of the car.

The 330e seemed a bit less explosive than the 330i in terms of performance, but it handles passing and merging with flying colours. The transmission still displays some jerkiness in quick-shift manoeuvres, though it exploits the gas engine’s wide power band as precisely as ever.

The gas engine switches off frequently at stable speeds, even at zero electric range. Transitions are perfectly smooth, including when the electric motor restarts to give an extra burst of power.

Our main gripe with this exhilarating experience is that you cannot personalize the drive settings—steering, transmission, throttle—in hybrid mode, whereas you can in all-electric mode, which is more conducive to relaxed driving.

Other highlights

Braking: power, fade resistance and initial response are outstanding. Pedal is firm and very easy to modulate. Parts for the M Sport system are expensive.

Driver assistance: like most German automakers, BMW does not allow you to opt for traditional cruise control in models equipped with adaptive cruise. Fortunately, this one works smoothly overall. Lane departure warning and lane keeping assist are well calibrated and not too intrusive.