The current ‘G20’ BMW 3 Series looks set to stick around for a while yet, according to online forums and reports.
Posts on Bimmerpost reported by BMW Blog detail upcoming changes for the 2025 model year in the US, which should see the 3 Series get another round of updates from July 2024 production ahead of the next-generation model arriving in 2027.
“07/24: Another refresh. I don’t think BMW will call it “LCI2″ but the changes will be noticeable. The interior will get new materials, trims, glass knobs, Iconic Glow kidneys will become available as an option, there will be new wheels,” said user ynguldyn, who claims to compile information from sources within BMW.
“US and Korea will get B48 and B58 TÜ engines (on paper, there will be 7hp bumps for 320i and 330i, and 7hp loss for M340i).
“No fully electric models. 11/25: In EU, all diesel engines will be brought to EU7 compliance.”
Overseas models shown
A production end date of 2027 means the G80 3 Series will be eight years old by the time a new generation comes around.
Before then, BMW is set to introduce a 3 Series-sized EV on its Neue Klasse architecture in 2025.
The forum post mentions an NA0/NA1 BMW i3 due to commence production in November 2026 in Germany, while the next-generation G50/G51 3 Series will be slightly later to production from July 2027.
That suggests BMW will lead the next-gen 3er line-up with an all-electric version first, with combustion-powered models to follow after.
Current BMW i3
BMW currently offers an electric version of the existing 3 Series, much as it does with the 5 Series and 7 Series, but the i3 sedan is exclusive to China. It’s based on the long-wheelbase G28 3 Series Li also exclusive to that market.
The next-generation i3, however, could become a global model.
While we’ll be waiting a while for an electric 3 Series spin-off, BMW does already cater to the mid-sized premium electric vehicle market with the iX3 SUV and i4 Gran Coupe, based on the top-selling X3 and the 4 Series Gran Coupe respectively.
Current 3 Series
Arch rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz don’t currently have battery electric versions of their respective A4 and C-Class rivals – though Audi is planning an A4 e-tron in its next-generation range, which should only be a year or two away.
BMW’s seventh-generation 3 Series – codenamed G20 – was first revealed at the 2018 Paris motor show, with the LCI mid-life facelift coming in 2022.
Locally, the 3 Series offers 320i, 330i, 330e and M340i xDrive variants in addition to the M3 high-performance range.
Australia currently misses out on the latest iterations of the 3 Series’s engine line-up, which includes a 48V mild-hybrid system in the M340i as well as four-cylinder diesel models (no longer offered here), plus multiple plug-in hybrid variants beyond the sole 330e offered for sale locally.
MORE: Everything BMW 3 Series
