The Neue Klasse has reached the heart of BMW’s line-up. The eighth-generation 3 Series, codenamed G50, has been unveiled as the first core BMW model to adopt the design language and technology that debuted on the iX3 electric SUV, and it arrives with a notable omission: there is no diesel, and none is planned.
Petrol and electric versions will share showroom space, with the new i3 already on sale and the combustion-engined 3 Series following it into UK dealerships from January 2027. Production begins next month, and BMW’s online configurator is already live.
“The Neue Klasse innovations are now being rolled out across our entire model range. And with the new BMW 3 Series, we are bringing them to the core of the brand for the first time,” said Dr Mike Reichelt, head of Neue Klasse at BMW.
A new look, and a bigger footprint
The G50 adopts the Neue Klasse face wholesale: a wider, thinner kidney grille that merges into the headlamps, a long wheelbase and short overhangs. BMW describes the profile as a “2.5-box” design, a nod to the near-monobox proportions that have become a signature of its electric range. The car is longer and wider than the model it replaces.
The petrol 3 Series and the electric i3 share that design language almost entirely, with only very slight dimensional differences between the two. It is a deliberate strategy: BMW wants buyers to choose a powertrain, not a silhouette. That approach mirrors what other manufacturers are doing across the market. Volkswagen, for instance, has confirmed that the ID. Tiguan will replace the ID.4 and ID.5 from 2027, a similarly pragmatic reshuffle of an established nameplate onto electric underpinnings.
UK range and pricing: two petrols, no diesel
At launch, the UK line-up is limited to two petrol engines. The 320 opens the range at £44,975, using a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid producing 211PS and 330Nm. Power goes to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic, with 0-62mph taking 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 149mph.
Above it sits the M350 xDrive at £66,785. Its turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six develops 443PS and 580Nm, driving all four wheels through the same eight-speed automatic. The 0-62mph sprint takes 4.1 seconds and top speed is limited to 155mph. The M350 is marked out by special M Yellow lights inspired by BMW’s GT racing cars, plus a boot lip spoiler.
The absence of a diesel is the headline for high-mileage drivers who have long defaulted to a 320d. BMW has not announced one, and the direction of travel across the range suggests it is unlikely to appear. The 320d has historically accounted for a substantial share of UK 3 Series sales, particularly among fleet operators, so its disappearance from the line-up leaves those buyers weighing up either the mild-hybrid 320 or a move to the electric i3.
What each trim brings
The entry 320 is not sparsely equipped. It arrives with 18-inch wheels, electrically adjustable heated front seats and a rear-view camera.
M Sport trim adds M styling tweaks, M Sport brakes, ambient interior lighting and a sports steering wheel. M Sport Pro goes further with an illuminated front grille, adaptive LED headlights and an M steering wheel. The M350 xDrive includes a Harman Kardon audio system, adaptive M suspension and three-zone climate control as standard.
The electric alternative
The i3 is priced from £47,925 and is already in production, with UK arrival expected “very soon”. It shares the Neue Klasse look with its petrol sibling, and the packaging differences are smaller than you might expect.
Luggage capacity in the petrol car is 450 litres, which is 30 litres more than the i3. The electric model claws some of that back with a 31-litre front storage compartment under the bonnet, useful for charging cables and the sort of small items that otherwise rattle around a boot.
For buyers weighing up the two, the price gap between a well-specified 320 and an entry i3 is narrower than the badge hierarchy might suggest.
Inside: Panoramic iDrive and a wall of screens
The cabin runs BMW’s Panoramic iDrive setup, first seen on the iX3 and carried over to the i3. It centres on a Panoramic Vision Display that spans the full width of the dashboard, showing speed and navigation directions along with optional customisable widgets. A 17.9-inch central touchscreen handles settings, with additional controls on the steering wheel. Amazon Alexa AI+ is included.
A panoramic sunroof is fitted to all models. A head-up driver display is optional. Crucially for anyone who has despaired at touchscreen-only interiors, physical buttons remain for the window switches, drive selector, parking brake and climate controls. A seven-speaker system is standard, with Harman Kardon hi-fi featuring Dolby Atmos on M Performance models. Three interior design motifs are offered: Contemporary, BMW M and BMW Individual, with M PerformTex material or Merino leather.
Chassis, steering and a “Drift Moment”
Underneath, the G50 uses a double-joint spring-strut front axle and a five-link rear axle, with optional adaptive M Suspension. M Performance cars get variable sport steering, an M Sport differential and M Sport brakes.
The most talked-about addition is a “Drift Moment” feature, which sends all torque to the rear axle for controlled oversteer. It is due via a software update in 2027, which means early adopters will need to wait for it to arrive over the air.
US launch and the wider picture
In the US, the new 3 Series goes on sale in early 2027 as both the pure-EV i3 and petrol mild-hybrids. Prices start at $49,900 for the 330, rising to $51,900 for the xDrive version. The i3 50 xDrive is $61,500 and the M350 xDrive is $65,900, with $1,350 destination and handling on top.
The i3 50 xDrive pairs a 463hp dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain with a 112.2kWh structural battery pack, a claimed EPA range of up to 468 miles and 400kW DC fast charging that adds 208 miles in ten minutes. US combustion versions use a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, while the US 330 runs a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 255hp and the M350 xDrive’s 3.0-litre six produces 437hp.
What the G50 means for the 3 Series badge
For more than four decades the 3 Series has been the benchmark against which compact executive saloons are judged, and BMW has now bet that badge on a shared petrol and electric platform with a single design language. Dropping diesel from the UK line-up is a significant statement in a segment where fleet buyers have long favoured it.
The pricing puts the 320 within reach of a well-equipped mainstream family car and the M350 firmly in premium territory, with the i3 slotting between them. First UK examples are due in January 2027, production starts next month, and the configurator is open now for anyone who wants to see what their specification actually costs.
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