The new 2021 BMW 3 Series four-cylinder
plug-in hybrids will be available in the United States from May 2020. U.S.
customers will have two model variants to choose from: the 2021 BMW 330e and
330e xDrive. The former starts at US$ 44,550 while the latter is priced from US$ 46,550 – both prices exclude a US$ 995 destination and handling fee. The pricing
places the 330e models between the base 255-HP 330i (US$ 40,750) and the sporty
382-HP M340i (US$ 54,000).
Both 330e models feature the same powertrain
consisting of a 181 HP 2.0-liter BMW TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder gasoline
engine, an electric motor, a 107 HP electric motor, a 34 Ah / 12 kWh lithium-ion battery and an 8-speed Sport Steptronic automatic
transmission.
The combined power output is 288 HP and 420 Nm of torque with the XtraBoost function. Available in Sport
mode, XtraBoost offers an immediate 40 hp power increase for up to 10 seconds.
The brand-new feature is activated when the throttle is depressed to the kick
down position.
Since we’re talking about a plug-in hybrid
car, the EPA purely electric range is 35.4 km for the RWD model and 32.2 km for the AWD model. The estimated MPGe rating for the 330e
Sedan is 75, while the 330e xDrive is rated at 67 MPGe.
In Hybrid mode, the new 3 Series plug-in
hybrids can operate at speeds up to 109 km/h, an increase of 31 km/h over the previous-generation model. In the emissions-free Electric
mode, the top speed is 140 km/h, up from the previous 121
km/h.
The electrified drivetrain enables the BMW
330e Sedan to go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds (5.7 seconds for the 330e
xDrive Sedan). In both cases, the top speed is electronically limited to 209 km/h when equipped with all-season tires. With summer performance
tires, the 330e Sedan reaches a top speed of 228 km/h while the
xDrive model hits 225 km/h.
