The updated BMW 3 Series sedan and wagon range will arrive in Australia later this year, featuring new tech but essentially unchanged styling.
BMW Australia has confirmed customer deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2024.
It has confirmed the 3 Series will continue to be offered only in 330i and M340i guise after it axed the base 320i and plug-in hybrid 330e earlier this year.
BMW will announce local pricing and specifications in July, but has revealed some details ahead of then.
330i
The M340i xDrive will gain CraftedClarity glass trim, featuring Swarovski crystals, for the gear selector, iDrive controller and start/stop button.
There are three new 19-inch alloy wheel designs, though the M340i xDrive will retain its standard double-spoke, 19-inch M light alloy wheels.
All local models gain a new flat-bottom M leather steering wheel with a 12 o’clock marker (red in the M340i xDrive), while sports seats will continue to be standard fitment
As confirmed in the global press release earlier today, the updated 3 Series is essentially unchanged visually – apart from a pair of new exterior finishes and some new wheel designs – but has various changes both inside and under the skin.
In addition to the new steering wheel design, there are new adjustment knobs for the air-conditioning vents plus ‘cascade’ lighting integrated into the trim around the central vent.
The major change inside, however, is the 3 Series’ use of the new BMW Operating System 8.5 for the infotainment system.
This features “optimised operation of the ventilation and climate control functions”, as well as a “flatter” menu structure, and customisable shortcut widgets on the driver’s side of the screen joining the anchored climate control bar 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’s a “notable increase in comfort across all driving situations… without any loss of the customary 3 Series dynamic prowess”, with more precise and composed handling.
The company also says there’s less force required to turn the steering wheel in Comfort mode.
First entering production in 2018, the current-generation 3 Series received a facelift in 2022. It’s reportedly set to continue until 2027 when a replacement arrives.
330e Touring
BMW says one in every eight vehicles it delivers worldwide is a 3 Series, with the vehicle accounting for as much as 35 per cent of its sales in some markets.
It accounted for around 12 per cent of BMW’s sales in Australia last year, though with 3147 sales it was still the fourth best-selling BMW model line and the brand’s best-selling passenger car range.
The company has sold more than 20 million examples of its 3 Series globally to date, with almost three million of these being the current-generation model.
MORE: Everything BMW 3 Series
