Updated BMW 3 series The sedan and wagon will arrive in Australia later this year, featuring new technology but essentially unchanged styling.
BMW Australia has confirmed customer deliveries will begin next October. 4th quarter 2024.
They have confirmed that the 3 Series will continue to be offered only in 330i and M340i trim levels after dropping the base 320i and plug-in hybrid 330e earlier this year.
BMW will announce local pricing and specifications in July, but has revealed few details before then.
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330i
The M340i xDrive will have a CraftedClarity glass surround, studded with Swarovski crystals, for the gear selector, iDrive controller and start/stop button.
There are three new 19-inch alloy wheel designs, although the M340i xDrive will retain the standard 19-inch M light-alloy wheels.
All local models are equipped with a new flat-bottomed M leather steering wheel with 12 o’clock markers (red in M340i xDrive), while sports seats will continue to be standard.
As confirmed in a global press release earlier today, the updated 3 Series is essentially unchanged visually – with the exception of some new exterior finishes and some new wheel designs. – but there are various changes both inside and under the skin.
In addition to the new steering wheel design, there are also new adjustment buttons for the air conditioning vents along with a ‘cascading’ lighting system integrated into the surround of the central air vent.
However, the big change inside is the 3 Series’ use of the new BMW Operating System 8.5 for the infotainment system.
This feature “optimized operation of ventilation and climate control functions”, as well as a “flatter” menu structure and customizable shortcut widgets on the driver’s side of the display connected to the climate control bar fixed climate at the bottom.
Under the skin, BMW has retuned the 3 Series’ chassis for better ride and handling, with changes including stiffer mounting connecting the rear dampers to the body. .
BMW says there is “a significant increase in comfort in all driving situations… without sacrificing the usual dynamic capabilities of the 3 Series”, with more precise and composed handling.
The company also says less force is needed to turn the steering wheel in Comfort mode.
First put into production in 2018, the current generation 3 Series received a facelift in 2022. According to the report, is set to continue until 2027 when there is a replacement.
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Travel 330e
BMW said that 1 in every 8 cars it supplies worldwide is the 3 Series, which accounts for up to 35% of its sales in some markets.
It accounted for around 12 per cent of BMW’s Australian sales last year, although with sales of 3147 units it is still the fourth best-selling BMW range and the brand’s best-selling passenger car range.
To date, the company has sold more than 20 million 3 Series vehicles globally, with nearly 3 million of these being current-generation models.
THAN: Everything BMW 3 Series
