BMW 3 Series (2027 – ) review

Teams meetings may have replaced long hours hammering up and down motorways for busy execs but the 3 Series saloon tested here remains a fleet favourite, and always the pick of anycompany car listing. Mild-hybrid power (for now) and subsequent CO2 graded tax may steer those fleet drivers to the all-electric i3 for its favourable Benefit in Kind rates, and in that context the powerful six-cylinder petrol engine in the M350 xDrive tested feels of a bygone age. But I know from personal experience of the similarly powered M440i it’s actually a surprisingly efficient powertrain, more than capable of hitting high 30s mpg in real-world driving. Might not sound spectacular but that’s actually not much worse than running a typical plug-in hybrid without, well, plugging it in. Which, studies show, is how many owners end up running them.

Double-edged sword, this one. The petrol engine and mild-hybrid systems powering the new 3 Series are well-proven in and BMW has a solid reputation for its mechanical engineering. But the electrical architecture powering the new onboard tech is an unknown quantity, and at the time of writing still very fresh to the market. We’ll have to wait and see. And hope for the best.

I’ve long had a bee in my bonnet about supposed driver aids that prove so annoying you end up switching them off. Something independent testing body Euro NCAP backs me up on, its updated tests now grading safety systems for how effective they are in real-world driving. Proof in the pudding but the fact I drove all day in the new 3 Series and didn’t once curse lane-keeping interventions shows how BMW’s ‘Symbiotic Drive’ system leaves engaged drivers alone, only kicking in if it senses you’re losing concentration, nodding off or spending too much time staring at the screen. Genuine progress, given in most cars it’s the first thing I turn off. OK, maybe the second, after the speed limit bongs. Even BMW can’t make these tolerable, but it’s at least just one finger jab away on the central screen.

The classic saloon shape is part and parcel of 3 Series tradition but, truth be told, shows its limitations in the age of more family-friendly SUVs and crossovers. Fear not, BMW has you covered there with the X3 if that’s your need. And very good it is, too. Traditionalists still wedded to the ‘three-box’ shape step this way, though! Certainly, driver and front-seat passenger are very well catered for, and I loved the traditionally low-slung and sporty driving position. With the seat set for my six-foot frame I swapped to the back seat to see how much space there was back there and … it’s not great in terms of leg-room, certainly compared with the i3. But the 3 Series has always been a driver’s car first and foremost, and still feels it in the way the controls and displays wrap around you when you’re behind the wheel. True, the M350 I drove benefitted from things like fancy adaptive suspension tailored to the selected driver mode. But even for its sporty ambitions the 3 Series rides the bumps with real sophistication and refinement, though I need to try one on the standard suspension too.

I’ll have to hold final judgement here until BMW publishes its full pricelist and UK market specs. Though, to be fair, that level of trim level crunching makes for very boring reading anyway, so let’s concentrate on the more interesting features. These include BMW’s nifty Panoramic iDrive and, nose job aside, perhaps the most dramatic upgrade for the new 3 Series. It combines the signature Panoramic Vision below windscreen with a new central screen with associated operating system, revised steering wheel controls and – where fitted – the latest head-up display. It’s a bold reimagination of conventional screen-based information and interaction, the customisable Panoramic Vision putting key information in your line of sight with a more conventional interface on the main screen. I’m (still) no fan of this including basics like ventilation controls but there is at least a physical volume dial and BMW has sweated the details of its menus and graphics to make them easier than most to operate. Interestingly, while I already had some familiarity with the system my co-driver was starting from scratch. It took him five minutes of head scratching before we set off but it was fascinating to observe quickly he got used to it. It’s perhaps one of the bigger steps in interior tech in a long time, and will be a shock – or novelty – at first. But this experience suggests BMW might be onto something here. Just as well, because versions of this interior will be rolling out across the range in the not-too-distant!

BMW knows how to push the buttons of petrolhead roadtesters like yours truly, sending us out in the most powerful version of the new 3 Series from the off. Such is the rate of progress this M350 xDrive now has pretty much power as the previous M3, not to mention a lot of its signature tech, drift mode included. For those (guilty as charged) who’ve grown up loving 3 Series BMWs with big six-cylinder motors driving one in this day and age feels a bit of a guilty pleasure. And even if some of the engine noise is artificially enhanced the sound of a powerful petrol engine doing its thing still prickles the neck hairs, ditto the powerful acceleration from the (mildly) electrically boosted 443 horsepower motor. While all-wheel drive, BMW has engineered it to feel like a traditional rear-wheel drive 3 Series, making this M350 xDrive a truly satisfying steer along a twisty backroad. But also smooth, effortless and refined on a cruise. For all the updated styling and fancy new tech this is very much BMW in its comfort zone. No complaints from me if that’s the case! For those with two feet on the ground (or a stricter fleet manager) I’ll just have to hope the entry-level 320 with its four-cylinder engine and sensible pants 211 horsepower has a sense of the same magic. I’ll report back when I’ve driven it!