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New BMW 3 Series and i3 Coming Soon: Specs, price and release info
All-new 3 Series and fully electric i3 lead the charge in BMW’s continued Neue Klasse reinvention
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 30 September 2026 | 0 min read
Even in this age of SUVs the 3 Series remains one of the most important cars in the BMW range, and the brand’s heart and soul. And now it’s going electric, the all-new i3 joining a heavily updated version of the existing petrol-engined 3 Series, both carrying the Neue Klasse styling language and innovative new interior tech introduced in the iX3. While still technically different cars underneath this alignment in timing and looks makes it easier for BMW buyers choosing a new 3 Series and an (apparently) straightforward pick between internal combustion and electric power. Not actually that straightforward, as it turns out. But we’ll try and clear that up as we go!
- Both models arrive simultaneously with the same Neue Klasse look … but the petrol version is the 3 Series and the electric one is the i3 – clear?
- For avoidance of doubt 3 Series based on the old one but a very significant update with new body and tech; i3 meanwhile built on Neue Klasse foundations shared with iX3
- At launch both petrol 3 Series models are mild-hybrids, the 320 a 2.0-litre while the M350 xDrive sticks with the trad 3.0-litre six-cylinder – BMW fans rejoice!
- Two i3 models are also coming, both twin-motor and branded i3 40 xDrive i3 50 xDrive • The i3 40 gets an 82.8kWh battery good for 441 miles while the i3 50 has a bigger 108.7kWh pack for an amazing 567 miles by official claims
- A yet more powerful i3 M60 xDrive M Performance to follow in 2027
- All feature the new-school BMW interior with the nifty Panoramic iDrive and Android-powered BMW Operating System X
Orders now open and deliveries kicking off soon, the 320 starting at £44,975 while the i3 40 xDrive starts at £47,925
Design and models available
The Neue Klasse look introduced on the iX3 marked a generational shift for BMW. Good job it’s gone down as well as it has, given this will be the styling language appearing on all the brand’s cars from now onwards! With its widened kidney grille – chrome now replaced with lighting effects for maximum presence in the mirrors – and clean surfacing the design arguably works even better on the 3 Series and i3 than it already did on the iX3. Longer, wider and lower, it accentuates the traditional sportiness of previous 3 Series generations but with a clean, modern look. You might have to squint a bit but you can spot the 3 Series (the red one!) for its longer bonnet and lower roof, the i3 (the blue one!) longer and wider in the wheelbase and a little more assertive in its stance. But the vibe is same, and they’re recognisably of the same generation and family. Both will be offered in standard trim, upgradeable to M Sport or M Sport Pro as you choose, each step up adding bigger wheels, more M-branded garnish and various additional luxuries.
Interior and tech
We at least have a head start on this, given the iX3 introduced BMW’s new interior tech and has been out long enough for us to get our heads around it. And it’s good. Screens inevitably feature heavily but the Panoramic iDrive stretching the width of the windscreen is a neat way of presenting essential information without cluttering the interior, and fully configurable to your needs. That leaves the main screen as your interaction for infotainment, the BMW Operating System X powering it developed from open-source Android foundations and easily updateable along the way. Experience shows the BMW bit you interact with is crisp, logical and good-looking. The Neue Klasse also introduced next-generation computing power for the many and various driver assistance systems, including ‘hands off’ motorway driving in countries where this is permitted. We’ve already tried it in the iX3 on the Spanish launch event and, once you learn to trust it, it’s very effective. But geofenced as regulations permit. So, you don’t get to use it on British roads as yet.
Batteries/range or engines
Brace yourself, here come the stats… The 3 Series launches with the four-cylinder 320 with 211 horsepower and the six-cylinder M350 xDrive with 443 horsepower, both mild-hybrids and as close to pure internal combustion as you can get in a 3 Series. Previous experience of similar engines in previous BMWs proves them to be actually very efficient, too. No word yet on plug-ins or other powertrain options but expect them to come in due course. The i3 meanwhile uses BMW’s sixth-gen electric tech, both with twin-motor set-ups for effective all-wheel drive. The extra power of i3 50 xDrive goes to the rear motor, for a more traditionally BMW handling balance. This also gets a much bigger battery for that headline-grabbing official range of ‘up to’ 567 miles. The regular i3 40 is still good for 441 miles, which is plenty to be going on with.
Price and release
On the road price may not be reflective of how most people buy their cars but it’s all we have to go on for starters, the i3 40 xDrive £47,925 and the 50 xDrive £53,425. Deliveries for both start almost immediately. The 320 starts at a slightly more affordable £44,975, the M350 xDrive going the other way and costing £66,785. 3 Series deliveries are expected to start early in the new year.
What other cars from BMW are due this year?
Any new 3 Series is the biggest story for BMW when it drops, but there are more new cars coming, too, a Neue Klasse restyle for the X5 included.
What other cars that are upcoming will this compete with?
While SUVs and crossovers continue to dominate saloons are fighting back, and the new Mercedes C-Class Electric has just arrived to take a generations-long rivalry into the electric age.
