New BMW 3 Series spotted testing: next-gen saloon gets petrol and electric power

• New BMW 3 Series spotted
• All-new styling similar to Neue Klasse concept
• Popular saloon car to gain electric power
• Petrol engines will also still be offered
• Full reveal expected at the end of 2025

This is your first look at the all-new BMW 3 Series, a posh saloon car which will offer buyers an alternative to petrol-powered models like the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A5, as well as EVs like the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2.

You’ll be able to buy the 3 Series with either electric or petrol power when it goes on sale in 2026, with the EV packing some new tech which could deliver around 400 miles of range.

New BMW 3 Series design

The new BMW 3 Series will be one of a series of new cars to use the Neue Klasse design language, something which was first previewed on the Neue Klasse concept car from last year, and it looks radically different to today’s car.

While the current crop of BMWs use massive central grilles, this new 3 Series has much slimmer and wider kidneys which neatly blend into the headlights. It appears to have a much more angular look up front as well.

The side profile is very similar to the new 5 Series, just on a slightly smaller scale. It’s a traditional three-box saloon, as opposed to the new Audi A5 which has a liftback tailgate, and this prototype is on some sporty-looking alloys.

This suggests that you’re looking at the M340i version, another giveaway being the quad tailpipes on this test car. The all-electric has also been spotted testing, and that car has no fake exhausts in sight.

New BMW 3 Series engines and motors

You’ll be able to get the new BMW 3 Series with both petrol and electric power options, with the latter using a new collection of parts which we’ll also see on the new iX3.

There are no exact details around range or performance just yet, but BMW has said that cars based on the Neue Klasse platform will have a new type of battery which is 20% more power dense, as well as motors which are 28% more efficient.

To put this into context the current BMW i4 has 315 miles of range, so the new 3 Series is likely to get very close to 400 miles on a charge.

As for the petrol models, BMW is unlikely to develop any all-new engines for this car with a ban on the sale of new petrol-powered cars looming. You can therefore expect to see a similar range of 2.0-litre turbocharged units to the current 3 Series, although they may get mild hybrid technology to make them more fuel efficient. A 3.0-litre straight six could also be on the cards for the hot M340i version.

New BMW 3 Series – when can I buy one?

Not for a while yet. The new BMW iX3 will be revealed before the new 3 Series, and that car isn’t coming until the middle of next year, so you can expect this saloon to come along towards the end of 2025 with sales starting in early 2026.

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