Rejoice, semi-committed eco families, for BMW has answered your calls for a more practical plug-in 3-Series.
Like the sedan, the BMW 330e Touring uses a 2.0-liter gasoline engine making 181hp. It’s married to an eight-speed automatic transmission that houses the 111hp electric motor. Total system output is 249hp, but floor it and the powertrain can deliver a 10sec power boost amounting to 288hp. Nil to 100kph takes 6.1sec, and the top speed is 219kph.
The e-motor draws power from a 12kWh battery, which can be fully charged in under 3.5 hours using a wall-box, or just under six hours using a domestic plug socket. BMW claims 55km of e-range, and a top speed in electric mode of 140kph.
You’re looking at 42g/km of CO2 and 70.6km/L, making the Touring marginally less efficient than the sedan.
Prices haven’t been released, but we also expect it to be a bit more expensive. But you do get significantly more rear cargo space, which is a very valuable commodity indeed.
Said rear cargo space also means you don’t have to get a crossover if you want a practical PHEV. Where once you might have been forced into a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, you now have the choice of not just 3-Series, but Passat GTE and Mercedes C-Class plug-ins, too.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
