The BMW 3 Series has long been the world’s standard-setting compact sport sedan. An all-new design for 2027 represents the model's eighth generation and brings it into the brand’s most recent Neue Klasse era with modern styling, powertrains, and technology.
2027 BMW 3 Series Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2027 BMW 3 Series
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2027 BMW 3 Series
Pretty much everything is new for the 2027 BMW 3 Series. This eighth-generation version has been redesigned inside and out, gaining BMW’s most advanced technology in the process. A stiff new chassis joins entirely new sheet metal and an interior chock-full of digital screens and advanced technologies. The redesigned 3 Series shares showroom space with the equally new, all-electric BMW i3.
Design
While still recognizable as a BMW, the 2027 3 Series wears crisp new bodywork that's inspired by the brand’s latest Neue Klasse design language and pays tribute to the past while still managing to look modern. BMW’s long-running kidney-shaped grille openings are thin, wide, and bisected by a sunken hoodline valley that bears the automaker’s blue and white propeller badge. Slash-shaped lighting elements add visual interest to the 3 Series’ front fascia. The car's sides are much flatter than those of recent 3 Series models, but there’s still some bulging near the wheel openings for a muscular stance. The 2027 model is slightly larger than the version it replaces, with wider tracks front and rear. Flush-mounted glass and door handles lend the design a clean, streamlined look.
Powertrain
A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque comes standard in the rear-wheel-drive (RWD) BMW 330 and all-wheel-drive (AWD) 330 xDrive. The BMW M350 xDrive benefits from a 3.0-liter inline-six engine that produces 437 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque. All versions feature an eight-speed automatic transmission and 48-volt mild hybrid technology. BMW quotes a 0–60 mph time of 5.9 seconds for the 330 and a very quick 3.9 seconds for the M350 xDrive. A Drift Moment feature offered in the M350 xDrive decouples the front axle to allow for temporary RWD operation, which permits “controlled cornering slides,” according to BMW. The top speed of both models is electronically limited to 155 mph. Neither BMW nor the EPA had released estimated fuel economy figures for any 2027 3 Series model at the time of writing.
Interior
Just like the exterior, BMW has modernized the 2027 3 Series’ interior with lots of flat surfaces, interesting textures, and, of course, digital screens. There are three different interior themes: Contemporary, BMW M, and BMW Individual. Each offers its own colors and textures, with the M-branded version standing out as the sportiest. Nearly all interactions with the car happen on the centrally mounted touchscreen, and buttons are kept to a minimum. A uniquely shaped steering wheel has pronounced indentations for the driver’s thumbs, along with multifunction buttons that act like touchpads with haptic feedback. There isn’t a traditional gauge cluster in the new 3 Series, as it’s replaced by the BMW Panoramic Vision display that projects essential information onto an area at the bottom of the windshield.
Technology
In addition to the BMW Panoramic Vision display, there is a 17.9-inch central display that’s canted toward the driver. It’s all part of what BMW calls its Panoramic iDrive technology, and also includes an available 3D Head-Up Display. It’s powered by the BMW Operating System X, an Android-based software package. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are standard, and a Video app powered by TiVo supports on-demand video streaming on the central display. Amazon Prime Video will also be supported, as will a slew of in-car games. The 2027 3 Series is also equipped with the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which allows drivers to use voice control for various functions. It’s powered by a generative AI system and is said to understand natural spoken dialogue.
