The 330e Plug-in hybrid is the technological flagship of BMW's enhanced 3 Series line-up. Jonathan Crouch looks at the improved version.

Ten Second Review

With the updated version of BMW's Plug-in Hybrid petrol/electric 330e model, the conventional 320i variant's 184hp 2.0-litre petrol engine has been matched with an electric motor and a much larger battery to create quite a package. There's the choice of either a saloon or a Touring estate and both now gets a significantly upgraded cabin. And this updated model range gains smarter looks too.

Background

Not everyone wanting futuristic engine technology wants their car to also look futuristic. To look like BMW's iX for instance. If you're buying from this Bavarian brand and want a petrol/electric powerplant, the 330e Plug-in hybrid offers a more subtle way to go. Especially in this updated form. You now get up to 63 miles of all-electric driving range when the car's charged up, which enables the creation of some impressive overall stats - up to 353.1mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and as little as 19g/km of WLTP-rated CO2. Those figures fall only fractionally with the Touring estate body style. Take some time to understand BMW's thinking here and it's hard not to be impressed.

Driving Experience

With this second mid-term update, much about the engineering of this 330e has changed. At its original launch, this 'G20'-era 330e Plug-in hybrid model took a big step forward over its previous generation predecessor, the main difference being the measurement of all-electric driving range. This was rated at only 21 miles in the previous generation 3 Series plug-in but in the original G20-era version of this model, the addition of a larger 12.0kWh battery increased the range up to around 39 miles of zero emissions motoring when fully-charged. Well now, things have been even further improved, with an even larger 19.5kWh battery installed, which has boosted EV range right up to 63 miles. What this now means is that if you've a pretty typical daily commute, you might never have to fuel up this car to complete it. As you might expect, this kind of cleverness comes courtesy of a very advanced powerplant indeed, in this case a combination of the 184bhp 2.0-litre petrol unit from the 320i mated to an electric motor incorporating an 'XtraBoost' function. This can increase power to as much as 292hp, reducing the 62mph sprint time to just 5.9s. The hybrid system's extra weight drops maximum speed slightly over that of the ordinary 320i, but it's still rated at 143mph. As before, the main available drive modes are 'Sport', 'Hybrid' and 'Electric' - the latter able to be automatically activated in urban zones. The brand's xDrive 4WD system is no longer available on this variant.

Design and Build

This isn't the kind of Plug-in hybrid model you'll buy if you want to make an eco-statement. Unless you really know your BMWs, there's almost nothing to visually differentiate a 330e from any other 3 Series saloon unless you happen to spot the side panel charging flap. Visual changes to the Saloon and Touring body styles as part of this second G20-era 3 Series update are minimal: a more aerodynamic front bumper, more angular sills, fresh paint colours and, if you upgrade from the standard 17-inch alloy wheels, redesigned 19-inch alloy wheel rims. Inside, you might notice the redesigned steering wheel, the redesigned air vents along with the provision of fewer fascia buttons. And maybe also the smart 'cascade' interior lighting (adjustable for colour and brightness and able to indicate to the driver if they have an incoming 'phone call or have left a door open). Plus there's nicer Sensatec perforated fabric upholstery. The major cabin update here though, is the adoption of the brand's latest 'Operating System 8.5' software for the big 14.9-inch central touchscreen, which now controls all the climate functions and has a 'widget bar' that can be customised with the driver's favourite functions. There's also augmented reality for the navigation, 5G connectivity and a streamlined system to allow the car to connect to its MyBMW app. Plus, as with larger BMWs, you can now get the iDrive controller, the gear selector and the ignition button in 'Crafted Clarity' cut glass. As previously, there's a 12.3-inch instrument display. Otherwise, things are much as before. There's reasonably comfortable space for a couple of adults on the rear bench - it'd be a bit of a squash for three. Out back, there's a 375-litre boot in the Saloon (105-litres down on the conventionally-engined model), which you can extend by folding the seat backs forward. If you're going to be doing that very regularly though, then you're really a candidate for the alternative Touring estate version, which offers a 410-litre boot (90-litres down on the conventionally-engined model), extendable with seat folding to 1,410-litres.

Market and Model

The 330e comes in both saloon and Touring estate guises, plus there's a choice of either rear-driven or 4x4 xDrive formats. Prices start from around £47,500 and there are now just two trim levels, 'Sport' and 'M Sport'. There's a premium of £1,500 for the Touring estate body style. All models now include the 'BMW Live Cockpit Plus' screen set-up, which includes cloud-based BMW Maps, over-the-air updates and an improved version of the brand's 'Intelligent Personal Assistant' voice control system. The company's 'Parking assistant' is now standard, steering you automatically into spaces. And you can upgrade it with Park View, Panorama View and 3D View functions. M Sport customers are being offered a choice of exterior upgrades, including a carbonfibre rear diffuser, a large rear spoiler for the saloon and individual wheel designs of up to 20-inches in size. As for safety, well as before, an optional across the range is the brand's 'Driving Assistant Professional' pack, which includes Active Cruise Control with a Stop&Go function. There's also a 'Steering and Lane Control Assistant', which helps the driver maintain their position on motorways where the lane narrows. The 'Active Navigation' function detects when a lane change for a motorway exit is required and prepares to steer the car into that lane. The system also comprises a 'Lane Keeping Assistant' with active side collision protection and an 'Evasion Assistant'.

Cost of Ownership

With the deletion of diesel from the 3 Series range, BMW reckons this plug-in derivative will be a particularly strong seller. The installation of a more capable 19.5kWh lithium-ion high-voltage battery in recent times has nearly doubled its potential electric driving range - to as much as 63 miles. Charging time is around two and a half hours from a conventional 7kW garage wallbox or plug-in public charge point. Hook up to a domestic 3-pin socket and the charging time will be just under five and a half hours. As usual with Plug-in hybrids, the official WLTP combined cycle fuel figures - up to 353.1mpg for the saloon and up to 313.9g/km for the Touring version - need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but the important thing is that the government believes the quoted CO2 return - which can be as little as 19g/km in the saloon or up to 23g/km in the Touring. Either way, this means a super-low Benefit-in-Kind taxation rating. Of course it's unlikely that you'd ever achieve the quoted mpg and CO2 figures in the real world, but the important thing is that the government believes them, hence the attractive tax breaks that'll come as part and parcel of 330e model ownership.

Summary

In this enhanced 330e, BMW has brought us a PHEV 3 Series model that makes real world sense. There's excellent real world EV driving range, now matched to a much smarter cabin with extra technology that customers will really like. The pricing though, inevitably reflects the improvement. If you're disappointed that BMW no longer offers a diesel-engined version of this Bavarian contender, we think you really have to look at a 330e as a realistic alternative. The waiting lists for this variant suggest that many potential customers already are.