The trajectory of the classic Three is changing forever in 2026.
The 3-Series has been the backbone at BMW since the 1980s but the arrival of electrification is forcing a split which will see two separate mid-sized families emerging over the next few years.
This change has already begun with the unveiling of the Neue Klasse – that’s New Class in BMW-speak – to lead the battery-electric drive. The first production car from the program will be called the i3 and, in typical BMW style, will launch with twin electric motors, a four-door body, and a fully-loaded specification to match the ‘bells and whistles’ of any Chinese newbie.
The New Class will also spin off into an electric SUV, the iX3, already priced from $109,900 for its arrival in Australia later this year, but that’s just confusing things for the BMW faithful.
So, to cut to the bottom line, there will still be an old-school combustion car – most likely with hybrid drive – to follow.
BMW sources suggest the new 3 Series will be unveiled in September, once the initial blitz on the New Class has faded.
So, two cars and two future courses. An each-way bet, if you like.
If it’s all getting a bit confusing, consider the way the cars will be named.
The first of the new i3 models will carry 50 xDrive as its badge. In the past that would have related to the car’s engine size or power output – the original 318 from the 1970s had a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine – but that’s all disappeared. So 50 xDrive means high performance and all-wheel drive, so 345 kiloWatts and 645 Newton-metres from a pair of electric motors.
Still, that’s all in the future. A confusing future.
Right now, BMW still has a relatively straightforward lineup in its showrooms – even with electrification taking a growing share of its sales – and it’s been fun to do an update.
Most recently, I’ve been out in the 340i four-door sedan and the M2 CS, the two-door pocket rocket spun off the classic M3 hotrod.
Let’s go with the M2 first, since my drive time was at Bathurst. Yes, on the Mount Panorama race track that has created legends and chaos for more than 50 years.
The new M2 carries a CS badge to indicate it is a Competition Sport model, which means it is lighter and faster and even-more-focussed than a regular M2.
Costlier, too, from $172,900.
Some road driving around Bathurst proved the M2 is as quick and responsive as you’d expect, but also far too harsh in the ride for a daily drive on anything but super-smooth roads. The whip-crack response from its 3-litre twin-turbo engine is fantastic and it has one of those pop-bang-crackle exhaust notes which indicate a go-fast car in 2026.
At the track the M2 is like a pumped-up go-kart. Fast. Lively. Responsive. Fun.
It hits 245km/h going UP mountain straight and is only held back to 280km/h going down on Conrod by the BMW safety driver in a lead car.
So it is fast and super fun, but also costly and has a tiny boot and no real back seat. It’s a toy car in the same way as a Porsche 911 GT3, although less extreme in the wings and wheels.
So, where is the heart of the 3-Series these days?
For me, it’s the 340 I drove recently for a couple of days in Melbourne. It’s the mid-model contender, sitting above the 330i and below the super-quick M3.
But it’s not cheap, from $118,500 before a dance through the famously-confusing list of extra equipment on any BMW model, but it’s one of the rare Goldilocks cars.
Not too big, not too fast, not too costly, not too … well, anything.
It’s a smooth operator, quick enough to be quick for Sunday mornings but also refined and super comfy all the time. The car you want to drive, not the car you have to drive.
The creamy six-cylinder engine – with two turbochargers for 285 kiloWatts and 500 Newton-metres of torque – is smartly matched to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive for weekend adventures to the beach, snowfield or winery. On that front, the boot is big enough for family use, like the back seat.
The dashboard is a nice combination of entertainment and operation, not confusing or hard to learn. The seats are well shaped and good for a coffee run or a sprint into the mountains east of Melbourne.
It’s an old-school BMW and it would be my pick for the most enjoyable mid-sized, mid-range car from a prestige brand.
Who really knows what’s coming next from the New Class and all the rest? Right now, the 340 is my pick.
Price: from $118,500
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo six, 285kW/500Nm
Gearbox: 8-speed auto, all-wheel drive
Safety: not tested
The tick: nothing changes, it’s a Yes.
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