2027 BMW 3 Series First Look: The Small Luxury Benchmark Is Back

• What's new: Almost everything about the 3 Series has been changed for the car's eighth generation, and it seems more ready than ever to take on rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
• Why it matters: The 3 Series is the car that BMW has built its reputation on for the last five decades, so when a new one comes out we sit up a listen closely.
• Edmunds says: The vast changes make for one of the most compelling 3 Series updates in a long time — but it's also one of the priciest, starting at over $50,000 and topping out at well over $70,000.

I had the chance to get some hands-on time with the 2027 BMW 3 Series and drink in all the changes earlier this year, and from a styling perspective, it couldn't be much more different than the current car. The updates bring this G50 generation firmly in line with BMW's Neue Klasse design language, much like what we've already seen on the new BMW i3. Though they share design cues, the two cars are on entirely different platforms, and the gas-powered car is notably longer overall. You'd just be hard-pressed to tell without them sitting side by side. 

The front end is sharp and has a lot more menace to it in person than in photos. The rear, to my eye, is less successful than the front. Those long rear light bars and little triangles at the trailing edge of the light cluster don't exactly scream BMW to me. I would prefer a rear light signature closer to what's on the new iX3, but BMW didn't ask for my opinion when they were designing the thing.

The bones of the car are similar to the current 3 Series (the underlying architecture is still BMW's cluster architecture that underpins everything from the 2 Series to the X5), but the vast majority of it has been reworked. The bushings and the structure itself are revised, the wheelbase is a scant 0.4 inch longer than before, and the car is ever so slightly bigger.

Huge power for the new M350 model beats most M3s to date

Even though the engine lineup won't change — a turbocharged four-cylinder sits under the hood of the 330, and a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six powers the M350 — BMW has unlocked more performance from its M-light models. It's also worth noting that BMW has dropped the lowercase "i" from the end of the names of its gas-powered models, reserving that letter for the prefix of its EVs. 

The 330 makes the same 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque as before. Power is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission for all versions of the new 3 Series, and the 330 can be had with either rear- or all-wheel drive. The changes to the engine lineup come for the new M350 model (which replaces the current M340i). 

The straight-six now makes 437 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque. Not only is that a more than 50-horsepower jump compared to the M340i, it's also more power than every single M3 except the current model offers — and frankly, it's knocking on the door of the 473 hp the current base M3 makes. The jump in power comes from revisions to camshaft timing, redesigned combustion chambers, new intake ports and a new turbocharger.

BMW says the M350 will cover the 0-60 mph sprint in 3.9 seconds (sub 4 seconds is crazy quick, by the way), and a lot of that comes down to traction. The new M350 is all-wheel-drive only, but lovers of rear-drive vibes won't be disappointed. BMW's AWD systems have always had a rear bias, but the M350 will come standard with a switchable AWD system that decouples the front axle and makes the car rear-drive only — a feature that's currently only available on BMW's full-blown M cars. 

The 3 Series interior gets nicer materials, much screenier 

The interior is new to the gas-powered 3 Series, but it will be deeply familiar to anyone who's been following BMW's Neue Klasse rollout. Buttons are, by and large, dead. There are some physical controls on the doors (for seat adjustments and the windows) as well as a sort of toggle for the gear selector — oh, and a button for the hazard lights. But that's about it. 

Everything else is done through the massive 17.9-inch central display. Settings for the drive modes, all of the climate controls, and even the position of the air vents are controlled through that screen. It took plenty of getting used to in my time with the car, but eventually it started to make some sense. The menus are logically laid out, and most core functions are no more than a few taps away. 

That's not to say I fully approve here. When automakers simply dump everything into a screen, usability takes a huge hit, and not everyone wants to fiddle with a touchscreen display to cool off on a hot day. Even in 2026, it feels like physical knobs and buttons for the climate control system are the bare minimum for a truly ergonomic experience, and taking those away robs the cabin of character and utility. I hope, eventually, BMW finds a less tech-forward compromise for all those oft-used functions. 

What I don't want BMW to change is its panoramic iDrive display. A series of projectors sit underneath the front edge of the dashboard and project info onto a black strip at the very bottom of the windshield from pillar to pillar. It sits perfectly in your eyeline and is divided into several clusters, most of which are deeply customizable. The left most will permanently show key info like speed, the odometer, the tachometer, fuel level and the driver assistance systems. The rest can be changed at your behest to media, the weather and even old BMW art cars. Cute.

The funky new steering wheel also needs explanation. Its buttons are more like large touchpads with haptic feedback to signal clicks. The buttons for specific functions only light up when needed (so you won't be looking at a hang-up button if you're not on a call) to help make using them a little more straightforward. My first experience with the car revealed that, despite looking a little finicky, the wheel took less getting used to than I expected. 

The back seat of the new 3 gets a little upgrade, too. The choice of materials and quality in the back are much better than what BMW has been putting out recently. There are nice textiles and soft-touch materials all over the front of the passenger compartment, but they now extend to the rear seats, too. You even get metal speaker grilles in the back if you opt for the Harman Kardon sound system. 

New driver assists developed to intrude less often

BMW's driver assistance systems also get a rework. Like in the new X5, if you're using adaptive cruise control and tap the brakes, the vehicle no longer turns off the system and waits for you to reset it. Instead, it adjusts the ACC to the speed you've asked it to slow down to. It's also worth noting that in addition to adaptive cruise control, speed limit assist, lane keeping assistance and steering assist are standard on the new 3 Series. 

The new 3 Series' lane keeping assistance system won't fight you if you want to merge without signaling first because eye-tracking sensors and angle sensors can infer when you're being intentional and when you aren't. Generally speaking, the driver aids are designed to be less obtrusive and only intervene when necessary. 

There is a lot to take in with the new 3 Series, but at first blush it looks like the most complete version of BMW's stalwart sedan in a long time — maybe ever. The 330 will start at $51,250 with the destination charge applied (tacking on all-wheel drive is a $2,000 option). The new M350 model is pricey, though, starting at $67,250, and options will easily push it to nearly $80,000. 

Will it feel worth it? We won't know until we get behind the wheel and deliver our first drive impressions. Stay tuned for those.