New BMW 3 Series 2019: prices, details and on-sale date

The all-new BMW 3 Series saloon is now available to buy in the UK. The new model was unveiled in full at the 2018 Paris Motor Show and is set to take on the latest Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class and Volvo S60. BMW UK has confirmed pricing for the new 3 Series, with the entry-level 320i starting at £32,220, and the range-topping 330d costing £39,630. Both of these variants will be available from April 2019.

The new BMW 3 Series gets a revised design for its seventh incarnation; it’s wider, has a longer wheelbase and is lighter and more aerodynamic than the outgoing car, with sharper styling that brings the 3 Series into line with BMW’s latest models, including the all-new X5 SUV. There’s more space inside as a result, with a redesigned interior that’s been brought up to date with improved infotainment and connectivity options.

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The car’s underpinnings have been reworked, too; the track (the width between the wheels) has been increased, along with the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels), body rigidity (stiffness) is up by 25% and the car’s suspension has been reworked to be lighter while providing the expected BMW balance of ride comfort and an engaging driving experience.

2019 BMW 3 Series engines

The new BMW 3 Series will be offered with three engines from launch, with the entry-level 320i petrol engined model arriving shortly after in April 2019 (from £32,220), which produces 181bhp and manages 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Combined fuel economy is quoted at 43.5 mpg; CO2 emissions are 126g/km respectively.

For buyers that want a 3 Series with four-wheel drive, the 320d xDrive starts from £36,800 and is only available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, giving it a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds; Combined fuel economy is up to 52.3 mpg with CO2 emissions of 118g/km.

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The most expensive 3 Series from launch will be the BMW 330d costing £39,630, which is powered by a 261bhp petrol engine, giving a 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds. The BMW 330d is only available with the eight-speed automatic and returns an economy figure of 47.8mpg; emissions sit at 133g/km of CO2.

Trim levels and specification

The 2019 BMW 3 Series will be offered in three trim levels from launch: SE, Sport and M Sport.

Still the entry point to 3 Series ownership, SE gets LED headlights and front foglights, ambient interior lighting, a reversing camera, power-folding mirrors and three-zone air conditioning as standard, along with a leather sports steering wheel and BMW’s Live Cockpit plus system, which features an 8.8-inch infotainment screen. All new 3 Series come with a 40:20:20 split-folding rear seat with folding headrests for extra practicality. SE cars get their own front and rear bumpers.

Sport adds high-gloss trim for the window surrounds, grille and rear bumper elements, plus unique 18-inch alloys and a sporty interior with black trim, heated sports seats (in the front) and standard leather upholstery.

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Top-of-the-range M Sport gets a front bumper with large air intakes, plus unique side skirts and rear bumper, along with the same dark high-gloss trim pieces as found on the Sport.

The interior gets heated sports seats, an M-badged leather steering wheel and full leather upholstery, plus a darker headlining for a sportier interior ambience. The M-Sport also benefits from 12.3-inch digital display in place of traditional dials, along with a larger 10.3-inch central infotainment screen running BMW’s latest ID7 operating system.

M Sport cars come as standard with sports suspension, but this can be replaced by optional Adaptive M suspension, which brings a number of selectable modes to adjust its behaviour for different road surfaces and driving styles. This suspension is also included as part of the M Sport Plus package, which can be specified on some non-M Sport models, too, bringing larger brakes, 19-inch wheels, and a number of styling tweaks along with it.

Technology and safety

The 2019 BMW 3 Series adds a number of improvements to its active safety and driver assistance systems. All models come as standard with BMW’s Active Guard Plus system, which includes speed-limit information, lane-departure warning and pedestrian warning with city braking – that is, automatic emergency braking (AEB).

The optional Driving Assistance Professional pack adds active cruise control with a stop-and-go function, steering and lane-control assistant, lane-keeping assistance and active side collision detection to help mitigate injuries in side-on crashes, plus a number of other safety alert systems.

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BMW’s latest head-up display system can also be specified; this features a 70% larger display than the outgoing system, plus redesigned graphics and a distance warning that can alert you when you get too close to the car in front.

BMW has also fitted its Parking Assistant to all 3 Series models as standard: this features a rear-view camera and an automatic parallel parking/reverse parking system.

The current BMW 3 Series takes top spot in our best diesel cars to buy in 2019, check out the link for more.