The 2019 BMW 3 Series, the perennially top-ranked sedan, recently had its global unveiling at the Paris Auto Show. It will be available to the public in the summer of 2019.
The car’s seventh generation will feature a new plug-in hybrid 330e. The PHEV includes BMW’s latest eDrive Technology to enhance efficiency and performance.
A vital component of the new BMW 330e plug-in is the addition of XtraBoost, a system that allows the sedan to increase system output temporary by up to 41 horsepower (30 kW).
It will increase the 330e’s 252 horsepower (185 kW) output up to 293 hp (215 kW). The 330e also sees its all-electric driving range increased to up 50 percent, to 37 miles (60 km) over the previous generation 3 Series plug-in. Fuel economy is improved by about 10 percent.
The BMW 330e’s drivetrain starts with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine that outputs 184 horsepower (135 kW). The engine is matched to 68 hp (50 kW) motor with a peak output of 109 hp (80 kW) for a total system output of 252 horsepower.
An eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission houses the motor and gearing, allowing for the integration of recuperative braking to restore power to the car’s batteries.
The manufacturer reports the new BMW accelerated from 0 to 62 mph in six seconds. Top speed for the car is 143 mph (230 km/h) and a top speed in all-electric driving for the 330e is up to 87 mph (140 km/h), an improvement of 18 and 12 mph (30 and 20 km/h) respectively.
Power for the BMW 330e is stored in a 12.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and gives the all-electric vehicle a range of up to 37 miles per charge. The high-voltage battery rests beneath the rear seating and the fuel tank sits behind that over the rear axle, helping to create an even weight distribution. Fuel economy for the BMW 330e is now up to 1.7 l/100km (about 138 mpg) using the European WLTP test cycle for NEDC.
The BMW 330e has several Hybrid, Electric, and Sport drive modes. Sport mode allows the use of XtraBoost for more power output and gears the 330e towards performance. XtraBoost is dependent on battery pack charge state to operate.
BMW reports the 330e will have the full range of optional equipment available for the 3 Series, including model variants such as the Advantage, Sport Line, Luxury Line, and M Sport. A full range of driver assistance and advanced safety equipment can be included with the 330e, depending on packages chosen.
Standard with the BMW 330e will be passenger cabin pre-conditioning, heating or cooling the cabin to a set temperature using the BMW app suite and a connected smartphone. This remote-control system works regardless of the 330e’s battery charge state.
Article Last Updated: November 23, 2018.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
