Photo: BMW
With less than a month left before the Frankfurt Motor Show opens its doors in Germany, BMW said the new 330e, the plug-in hybrid variant of the seventh-generation 3 Series, is ready to hit the market.
Ever since it was first shown in Geneva in March the new BMW 330e sedan has been described as a whole new breed of PHEV. That's thanks to a combination between an improved combustion engine and a brand new boost technology, deployed for the first time in a Bimmer.
At the heart of the model sits a system that comprises a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline twin-turbo engine, a 12.0 kWh battery, and an electric motor. The combustion unit develops 184, on top of which the 133 hp of the motor are added.
Combined, the output of the two powerplants is 252 hp, but the size of the troop can be increased to 292 hp and 420 Nm of torque with the use of a brand new tech called XtraBoost.
XtraBoost works only when the car is in Sport mode and unleashes an extra 40 hp of power for a limited time of 10 seconds. When in use, this feature allows the 330e to accelerate with “twice the vigour of a car powered solely by a combustion engine.”
The PHEV can reach 62 mph from a standstill in 5.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph).
The electric performances of the new hybrid have been improved as well. The full-electric range has increased to 66 km (41 miles), and the top speed in Hybrid mode grew by 30 kph (19 mph), to a total of 110 kph (68 mph).
In Electric mode, the car can drive at speeds of 140 kph (87 mph), an increase of 20 kph (12 mph) over the previous generation.
Based on this tweaked powertrain, BMW said the fuel consumption of the car has improved as well. The 330e needs only 1.9-liters of fuel to drive 100 km, or the equivalent of 148 mpg.
Despite the impending market launch, prices for the model have not yet been announced.
At the heart of the model sits a system that comprises a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline twin-turbo engine, a 12.0 kWh battery, and an electric motor. The combustion unit develops 184, on top of which the 133 hp of the motor are added.
Combined, the output of the two powerplants is 252 hp, but the size of the troop can be increased to 292 hp and 420 Nm of torque with the use of a brand new tech called XtraBoost.
XtraBoost works only when the car is in Sport mode and unleashes an extra 40 hp of power for a limited time of 10 seconds. When in use, this feature allows the 330e to accelerate with “twice the vigour of a car powered solely by a combustion engine.”
The PHEV can reach 62 mph from a standstill in 5.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph).
The electric performances of the new hybrid have been improved as well. The full-electric range has increased to 66 km (41 miles), and the top speed in Hybrid mode grew by 30 kph (19 mph), to a total of 110 kph (68 mph).
In Electric mode, the car can drive at speeds of 140 kph (87 mph), an increase of 20 kph (12 mph) over the previous generation.
Based on this tweaked powertrain, BMW said the fuel consumption of the car has improved as well. The 330e needs only 1.9-liters of fuel to drive 100 km, or the equivalent of 148 mpg.
Despite the impending market launch, prices for the model have not yet been announced.
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