BMW has several electrified models in the pipeline,
and one of them is the new 3-Series Touring. Quoting Product Manager Stefan
Horn, AutoExpress reports that the G21 will get the plug-in hybrid treatment. The exec said “we will
have a solution for that in the future” when asked about such a variant of the
premium compact wagon.
Believed to launch in 2020, the new 3-Series Touring
PHEV will use the same powertrain as the 330e sedan. The latter was unveiled
with the eDrive technology last year and combines a 2.0-liter turbocharged
petrol four with an electric motor. The ICE puts out 184 PS and the electric unit develops 68 PS.
Thanks to a combined output of 252 PS and 420 Nm of torque, the G20 330e accelerates to 100 km/h in 6 seconds flat and maxes out at 230 km/h. The 12 kWh
lithium-ion battery allows it to run on electric power alone for up to 60 km, and up to a top speed of 140 km/h. It has an estimated
combined fuel consumption of just 1.7 l/100 km (166 mpg UK / 138 mpg US) and
CO2 emissions of 39 g/km.
The new 3-Series Touring won’t launch in the United
States and Canada, where crossovers and SUVs are favored over the usual station
wagons. Instead, BMW will continue selling the outgoing iteration in both
markets, alongside the new-gen sedan – at least for 2019. On a side note, the Bavarian
company won’t launch an all-electric version of the 3-Series, because that role
is reserved for the upcoming i4, Horn added.
