BMW’s current-gen 3 Series is getting a range of minor updates later this year.
It seems like just yesterday that the G20 BMW 3 Series went into production, but it’s already been around for five model years. Now, the automaker is making a series of minor tweaks for the 2025 cars, including some new exterior options as well as technology and powertrain tweaks. Basically, we’re looking at your usual mid-cycle refresh for one of BMW’s longest-running and most popular cars.
On the outside, changes to the 2025 BMW 3 Series lineup amount to new choices for paint colors and alloy wheels. Inside, though, drivers get newly designed steering wheels and a refreshed dashboard with the company’s latest dual-screen cluster and infotainment setup. The 330i gets a two-spoke steering wheel, while the M340i (and 330i with the M Sport Package) get a new three-spoke, flat-bottom wheel.
The infotainment system gets BMW’s iDrive 8.5 system, which aims to be more responsive and intuitive to use, with users having to dig through fewer menus to get to major functions. That said, the system does still have a huge number of menus when you scroll through all the items, so whether you consider ease-of-use any better here depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.
Engine tweaks
Powertrain choices are similar to past model years, in that you get either a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot with the 330i, or a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six with the M340i. Every engine now gets a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, though. The mild-hybrid setup contributes a bit more power thanks to the starter-generator motor, so the M340i now makes 386 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque (up from 382 hp and 369 lb-ft before).
The 2.0-liter’s output remains the same at 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft, but the new B48B20O2, as it’s called internally, switches to the Miller combustion cycle and gets redesigned intake ports and combustion chambers. BMW says it’s fettled with the camshaft control, injection and ignition systems, and exhaust gas routing for better efficiency.
All 2025 BMW 3 Series models will use an 8-speed automatic transmission, and the M340i’s 0-60 times are unchanged, despite the bit of extra power. The rear-wheel drive version can hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, per BMW’s own claims, while the xDrive version can manage the sprint in 4.1 seconds. Like before, BMW limits the non-M 3 Series’ top speed to 155 mph.
On top of the engine changes, the company says it’s also made a number of chassis tuning tweaks.
How much will the updated 3 Series cost?
When it arrives later this year, pricing for the 2025 BMW 3 Series will start at $46,675 for the base 330i (up $1,180 from 2024). That includes BMW’s $1,175 destination charge, while all-wheel drive will add another $2,000 to the overall price tag. The more potent M340i kicks off at $60,775, which is $2,180 higher than the equivalent 2024 model.
For the moment, BMW did not mention a mid-range 330e model, which also integrated an electric motor with the 2.0-liter engine but made 288 horsepower, as part of the refreshed lineup.
Production for the updated BMW 3 Series (in North America, at least) will kick off in August 2024 at the company’s plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.