BMW 330e plug-in hybrid unveiled, uses 2.1L/100km

Brett Davis

BMW has unveiled the new 330e hybrid 3 Series at the Frankfurt Motor Show, coming in as a more affordable hybrid slotting underneath the ActiveHybrid 3. It’s also the first plug-in hybrid 3 Series.

2016 BMW 330e

The powertrain consists of a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, from the 320i – instead of a 3.0-litre six in the ActiveHybrid 3 – paired with a 7.6kWh electric motor system. Combined, the package generates 185kW and 420Nm.

At this output level it matches the new 330i (2016 version of the 328i) for power, but surpasses its 350Nm torque output. As a result, 0-100km/h comes up in just 6.1 seconds, not quite reaching the 330i’s 5.8-second status.

Where the 330e shines is with fuel economy. On the combined cycle consumption test it returns a figure of just 2.1L/100km. This is helped by an ability to drive solely on electric power at speeds of up to 120km/h, for a range of around 40km.

At the moment there is no hybrid 3 Series available in Australia. The local arm recently introduced the 2016 facelift, with the most economical model being the 318i featuring a new 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder engine. The 318i offers a consumption average of 5.4L/100km, and it’s priced from $54,900.

Next Post

Audi S8 Plus revealed with bonkers performance

If you’re after a super-fast large luxury limousine, you might want to check this out. It’s called the Audi S8 Plus, and it is the quickest production large luxury sedan in the world. Audi lifted the covers off the high-performance version, of the high-performance S8 at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor […]