It's getting closer and closer to getting the new BMW Series 3 with combustion engines. The model enters the final stage of development, being a compact sports berlin that will always have a hybrid component.
© Uwe Fischer
08/09/2026
by
The new BMW Series 3 with combustion engines is now entering the final phase of development before it reaches production. It follows the new i3 fully electric, presented last March.
This Bavarian model is always electrifiedeither with a four-cylinder engine or with a six-cylinder thruster, you will always have a 48 volt mild hybrid system.
Driving dynamics is being tested in the latest tests for this purpose in Miramas (France), where different configurations and floor types are used. Before, the model had passed many tests, faced Nürburgring and also snow and ice at Arjeplog.
The sports berlin will wear Neue Klasse’s design signature with a “four-eye” front reinterpretation in a 2.5-volume design.
Enhanced chassis
In this new Series 3, we find a distance between elongated axes in the face of the previous generation and an improved axle weight distribution – such as the integrated braking system. The front and back roads are wider.
There are directional adjustments, dual-arm oscillating McPherson front suspension, multi-link rear axle (five arms) and stabilizer bars brackets with high preload on both axles. In series, there are new shock absorbers that adapt the height of the vehicle, and optionally it is possible to choose adaptive suspension or adaptive suspension M. At first, are optional sports tires 245/35 R20 ahead and 275/30 R20 behind.
On the inside, the highlight goes to the BMW Panoramic iDrive, the characteristic screen of Neue Klasse that shows the information to the full width of the front between pillars A. The operating system is, as in the Neue Klasse electrics, the BMW Operating System X.
Smart management
BMW's Neue Klasse reinforces the bet on the smart characteristics of the models, and the new 3 Series with combustion engines will also have a new electronic and software architecture.
BMW Driving Stack equips models with internal combustion engines. The dynamic management system is responsible for the various driving functions related to agility. According to the Bavarian manufacturer, “engine stabilisation and management functions” remain integrated into a grouping of “specialised control units”.
BMW EfficientDynamics, on the other hand, ensures that the vehicle is oriented to be efficient. There is a My Mode Efficient that maximizes efficiency and autonomy, while Efficiency Coach provides the driver with tips for an efficient driving style that saves energy.
There's only one with six cylinders
Top of the line is the BMW 3 Series M350 xDrive, an M Performance with auto gearbox of eight BMW Steptronic and single with engine six cylinders in line – that debits 443 hp of power. It is a 3.0 litre biturbo (BMW TwinPower Turbo) with integral traction.
Accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, reaches 250 km/h and is equipped with differential M Sport and with M adaptive suspension. Available gradually from 2027, will be the new Drift Moment function, with which the traction is totally rearward. Alongside clutch control M and DSC off, provides a particularly engaging driving experience.