Coming Soon to a Dealer Near You
It’s been a little over a month since BMW pulled the covers off the eighth-generation 3 Series. The initial lineup has also been revealed, and we practically know what the car looks like from entry-level to the top. More trims will be added down the line, and of course, we’re anticipating the premiere of the pure-combustion M3.
Now, BMW has revealed that production is well and truly in full swing. It’ll only be a matter of time before the U.S specifications appear, but the mass rollout in Europe is well underway. This also marks the first time production has been split between gas and electric models, the latter called the i3.
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Production Shift
Traditionally, Munich has been the home of 3 Series production since 1975. The Dingolfing plant later accommodated production to meet demand, but as plants outside Germany started building more cars, the need to produce 3 Series models there was no longer needed.
It all changes with the all-new 3 Series and first-ever i3. The i3 will be built in Munich, while the 3 Series will now call Dingolfing home. That’s mainly because Munich will be exclusively an electric car production facility. The i3 and 3 Series may be the same in spirit, but the platforms are completely different. I3 models have a dedicated EV platform that isn’t made to accommodate a combustion engine, while the 3 Series rides on an evolution of the outgoing model’s chassis. Their respective chassis codes are different (NA0 for i3, G50 for 3 Series), and that is also the reason why they look different.
This is a significant shift, mainly because Dingolfing has been the home of the larger 5 Series and 7 Series. The 3 Series returns production there after more than 20 years, and for as long as there are gas-fed models, it’ll be staying there for good. That probably also explains the Neue Klasse-fied 5 Series making an accidental cameo in a now-deleted BMW video.
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When Will the U.S. Get It?
Pricing and variants have been announced for Europe, so it’s only a matter of time before the cars start appearing in showrooms there. As for North America, the specs have yet to be revealed, so it might be a longer wait. That said, it’s been estimated that the cars will land stateside by the first quarter of 2027 for the 2028 model year.
So, what to expect from the U.S. version of the 3 Series? The M350 is pretty much a sure bet at this point, although the lower models are still yet to be determined. That said, it’s likely that the entry-level model will simply be called the 330, as BMW has dropped the ‘i’ in its nomenclature. It could be joined by a plug-in hybrid, as the company promised it’s coming soon. A 330e, perhaps? We’ll be waiting for BMW USA’s official announcement for that.
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About the author
Anton Andres
News Editor