BMW’s New 3 Series Keeps the Six-Cylinder Alive With 326kW M350 xDrive

BMW isn’t ready to turn the 3 Series into an EV-only affair just yet. The eighth-generation BMW 3 Series is entering the final stages of development, and alongside the new electric i3 will sit a fresh range of four and six-cylinder petrol models with 48V mild-hybrid assistance. Production is due to begin in the second half of 2026.

The headline act is the new BMW M350 xDrive, which replaces the M340i xDrive at the top of the regular petrol range. It brings substantially more power, more torque and, rather wonderfully, a dedicated function designed to turn the all-wheel-drive sedan into a rear-wheel-drive drift machine. Because apparently a 326kW family sedan was still a little too sensible.

The M340i becomes the M350 xDrive

BMW has retained the 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six for the new M350 xDrive, which is already good news in a segment increasingly populated by smaller engines and complicated hybrid systems.

Combined with its 48V mild-hybrid system, the new car develops a provisional 326kW and 580Nm, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. BMW claims 0–100km/h takes 4.1 seconds, with top speed limited to 250km/h.

That is a decent step beyond the outgoing Australian M340i xDrive, which produces 285kW and 500Nm and takes around 4.3 seconds to hit 100km/h. The new car therefore gains 41kW and 80Nm while shaving roughly two-tenths from the sprint.

The improvement in acceleration might not sound enormous, but the extra 80Nm should be more interesting in everyday driving than chasing another two-tenths on a specification sheet. The current M340i is hardly sluggish, so outright speed was never something BMW urgently needed to fix.

More importantly, BMW has resisted replacing the inline-six with a highly stressed four-cylinder. The current Mercedes-AMG C43 makes 310kW from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid setup, while the latest Audi S5 uses a 270kW 3.0-litre V6 mild hybrid. The M350 therefore looks seriously competitive on paper before we even get to the inevitable M3 above it.

Yes, the new 3 Series has a drift button

The strangest and arguably most entertaining addition is something BMW calls Drift Moment.

When activated through the central display, it directs the engine’s power entirely to the rear wheels. Combined with BMW’s control of the xDrive multidisc clutch and DSC switched off, it effectively gives the M350 a rear-drive mode intended specifically for getting sideways.

It is similar territory to features previously reserved for full-fat BMW M cars, which makes the distinction between an M Performance model and an actual M car slightly blurrier again.

There is one catch. Drift Moment won’t be available immediately. BMW says it will arrive during 2027 and will be activated through a Remote Software Upgrade on compatible M350s already delivered by then.

Software unlocking a drift mode is a spectacularly 2027 sentence.

The chassis changes could matter more than the extra power

The new petrol 3 Series gets a longer wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks than the outgoing G20 generation. BMW has also revised the steering ratio and integrated braking system, while retaining a double-joint spring-strut front axle and five-link rear suspension.

New lift-related dampers are fitted to the standard suspension, while adaptive suspension and Adaptive M Suspension will also be available depending on specification. Anti-roll bar mounts with greater preload are intended to improve body control, while the M350 gets its own chassis calibration, increased structural stiffness, Adaptive M Suspension, an M Sport differential and variable sport steering as standard.

Optional tyres can now stretch to 245/35 R20 at the front and 275/30 R20 at the rear, which is a considerable amount of rubber for something that still technically sits below an M3.

For me, these chassis changes are more important than the power increase. The 3 Series has spent decades trading heavily on the idea that it should be the driver’s choice among German executive sedans. Adding another 41kW is easy to advertise. Keeping a larger, more technologically complicated car genuinely enjoyable to drive is the harder part.

Neue Klasse styling without forcing everyone into an EV

BMW is also bringing the Neue Klasse design language introduced with the new electric i3 across to the combustion-powered 3 Series.

Expect the same basic visual direction, including a new interpretation of BMW’s traditional four-headlight face, cleaner surfaces, short overhangs and familiar rear-wheel-drive sedan proportions. BMW says the electric i3 and combustion 3 Series will primarily be differentiated by details related to their respective powertrains.

Inside, the new generation will adopt BMW Panoramic iDrive with Operating System X, bringing the company’s latest dashboard and interface concept across from its Neue Klasse EVs.

That could actually be one of the more controversial changes. The current G20 cockpit is relatively conventional by modern BMW standards, whereas Panoramic iDrive pushes information across a display at the base of the windscreen alongside a central touchscreen. Whether that’s genuinely better than putting useful controls where your hands already are remains to be seen.

The current M340i could suddenly become very tempting

BMW Australia hasn’t announced local pricing or an Australian arrival date for the new-generation petrol 3 Series yet.

For reference, the outgoing 2026 M340i xDrive is priced at around $119,000 before on-road costs, although individual new-car listings vary considerably once options and on-road costs are included.

That currently puts it in roughly the same territory as the Audi S5, priced from $116,900 before on-road costs in regular 270kW form, and the Mercedes-AMG C43, which sits around $123,800 before on-roads in standard specification.

If BMW can keep the M350 somewhere around that territory, 326kW, 580Nm, six cylinders and switchable rear-drive capability would make a fairly convincing package.

The question is how much the generational change will cost. If the M350 arrives with a significant price jump while dealers begin discounting remaining M340is, the outgoing model could become one of those inconveniently good run-out buys that makes the shiny new version harder to justify.

Early thoughts

The new BMW 3 Series looks like a more substantial update than another mid-cycle facelift. There is a new design direction, new interior technology, revised chassis hardware, a new electronics architecture and considerably more performance from the range-topping six-cylinder model.

Most importantly, BMW hasn’t abandoned the formula that made the M340i appealing in the first place. The inline-six remains, the eight-speed automatic remains and xDrive remains, while BMW has concentrated on extracting more performance and giving the chassis more flexibility.

The M350 xDrive is particularly interesting because it appears to be moving closer to M3 performance without becoming an M3. Whether that creates a brilliant sweet spot or simply gives BMW an excuse to push the price further north will depend heavily on Australian pricing.

For now, though, the biggest news might simply be that in an era of shrinking engines and increasingly similar EV platforms, BMW is preparing another generation of the 3 Series with a turbocharged straight-six and a factory-sanctioned button for sending it sideways.

Australian pricing and availability

BMW has confirmed production of the new petrol-powered 3 Series will begin in the second half of 2026. Australian launch timing, model range and pricing have not yet been confirmed.

The outgoing 2026 BMW M340i xDrive is currently priced at approximately $119,000 before on-road costs in Australia.