BMW 3 Series

 Unlike the BMWs of yesteryear, the trim levels have been altered significantly. Instead of providing a number of powertrain options, they have streamlined the process into dividing the four-pot and inline-six engines into the 330i and M340i trims, respectively. A separate trim for the hybrid 330e is available for sale too, but that will be reviewed separately.

The M340i does turn out to be slightly more expensive than it would have with just the larger engine, but the M parts on offer sweeten the deal significantly, especially for those looking for performance over luxury.

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The M340i looks like a lucrative deal for anyone who really likes to drive. Offering plenty of parts developed by the BMW Motorrad performance division, it offers a more aggressive, sporty drive than the 330i and 330e variants, while offering a softer suspension setup than the M3. Apart from the M parts, the M340i also features a turbocharged straight-6, which is good for 382 horsepower, which translates to great driving thrills.

The 3 Series is a great example of a sedan where great performance does not come at the cost of fuel economy. The base 330i should be the car of choice if you want to pick the thriftiest of the bunch. The xDrive version is a tad bit more economical than the M340i, but none of the four trims are gas-guzzlers as some of the others in the segment. You get a 15.6-gallon tank that should offer a comfortable driving range of 469 miles with the 330i and 390 miles for the M340i xDrive.

TheMercedes-Benz C300 fares far better than the competition in the overall driving range because of the large fuel tank. The 3 Series isn’t far too behind, courtesy of its best-in-class mpg figures. The other two rivals, Audi and Genesis, offer a comparatively lower range because of their smaller fuel tanks.

The interior of the 3 Series is a great place to be in, and that holds true for all the occupants. Everything from the seats to the dashboard to the door panels, the attention to detail of the brand is evident, and the upscale look of the 3 Series is certainly among the nicer ones in the segment.

The front seats can fit six-foot-tall people comfortably, and both the headroom and legroom are adequate for long cruises. At the rear, the middle passenger might face some problems because of the central hump. Apart from that, there is adequate headroom and legroom for the other two passengers.

The 3 Series has the edge over all the other cars in the competition, especially the rear row, which is more accommodating and can seat 3 people with ease. Adding to the practicality, the 3 Series Sedan has 17 cubic feet of cargo space. The trunk opens wide and low, and it can swallow up two large suitcases easily. Even the interior space of the car is top-notch, with door bins in all four doors and a center console storage compartment. Few salient interior features include-

• Power moonroof
• 3-zone automatic climate control
• 14-way power-adjustable front seats
• Driver's seat memory system
• Synthetic leather seats

2022 BMW 3 Series Sedan: Infotainment and Connectivity

This is where the updated sedan is expected to make the changes for 2022. Spy shots till now have all shown the dashboard covered up, but they cannot hide the fact that the sedan is set to get the new infotainment display that the company is outfitting their other newer cars with. A controversial design has been seen in the iX electric crossover’s infotainment setup; a single rectangular block houses both the infotainment and instrumentation display.

So the bumpy instrument cluster that you will find in the current 3 Series will be replaced by a 12.3-inch instrumentation display while infotainment duties will be handled by a curved 14.9-inch touchscreen. Major infotainment features include-

• Curved 14.9-inch touchscreen
• 12.3-inch instrumentation display with iDrive 8 operating system
• 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system
• Gesture control
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration

 The updated 3 Series Sedan will have no changes to the exterior. That may not be a bad thing as the current design has aged gracefully, a classic silhouette that is subtly aggressive but at the same time elegant enough. The grille may be a lot larger than before but is nowhere near as polarizing as its newer sibling.

The sedan weighs 3,582 lbs and has the biggest wheelbase in the competition at 112.2 inches.

The extra wheelbase in the 3 Series does the trick for the Sedan with the better accommodation despite being shorter than the A4. Overall, the cars appear to be similar dimension-wise with very minimal differences. When comparing the height, both BMW and Mercedes-Benz are the tallest at 56.8 inches. Key exterior features of the 2022 BMW 3 Series:

• Sunroof
• LED DRLs
• Alloy wheels
• Automatic high-beam headlights
• M Sport parts utilized in M340i guise

Safety comes as a top priority in most vehicles today, and any rating other than 5-stars from the NHTSA is looked down upon. Luckily for the 3 Series, it has scored 5-stars for its overall safety and occupant protection level numerous times in the past. While the 2020 and 2021 iterations of the 3 Series have not been rated by the NHTSA, possibly due to price constraints, we can expect BMW to maintain its safety levels. The 2020 3 Series was also named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS. The 2022 3 Series is also built on the same platform which received 5-stars from the NHTSA in the past, implying the 2022 BMW 3 Series should also offer plenty of protection for its occupants. Standout safety features in the 2022 BMW 3 Series are:

• Front Collision Warning
• City Collision Mitigation
• Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Active Side Collision Avoidance

The current car was never a bad one, but the 2022 BMW 3 Series Sedan is set to become even better. The car is expected to be unchanged as far as the exteriors, the performance, and the seating are concerned. However, the new infotainment system certainly looks exciting, and though the design may be a controversial one, it is a necessary step to compete with the advanced infotainment modules the other German rivals are packing.