The BMW 3 Series petrol is here: discover the new 320 and M350, from £45,000

This is the best-selling BMW model… of all time. Complete stop. No warnings. The most important car ever built. Whether this continues depends largely on how well this new version is received. We’ve seen the fully electric BMW 3 Series in the shapely form of the new i3.

Now it’s the turn of the gasoline car. Discover the BMW 3 Series all… gasoline, in the curved form of… the new i3. BMW consciously made the two cars identical, fully deploying its Neue Klasse design language.

So, like the i3, it looks pretty bright, this 2.5-box design carrying whispers of the BMW 3 Series’ past, while gently nudging it towards the all-electric horizon. Good position, this: short overhangs, superb grille/headlight treatment, flared arches and a blocky rear end.

And since this is a modern BMW, even gasoline cars get some sort of electricity. At launch, you have the choice of a 320 (regular badge), which actually uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Praise be! Badges that make sense!

It features a single turbocharger, 48V mild-hybrid technology, 208 hp and 243 lb-ft. The 0-62 mph sprint is taken care of in 7.4 sec and the top speed is 149 mph. Very respectable.

But if like Mel and Kim you prefer not be respectable, there is also the straight-six M350 xDrive. No, it’s unfortunately not a 3.5-litre, but instead uses BMW’s 3.0-litre petrol which also benefits from 48V mild-hybrid technology to provide a bit more power and torque.

So you get a very good 437hp and 428lb ft, translated to 0-62mph in a terrifying 4.1sec, although the top speed is pegged at 155mph. Still faster than an old M3.

New passive dampers are fitted as standard on both cars, stiffer mounts, 50-50 weight distribution and the option of adaptive suspension. The M350 also comes with a “Drift Moment” goober, which “sends power exclusively to the rear wheels” for “controlled oversteer.” It should be fun – to watch or experience – on a track.

The 320 gets 18 seconds as standard, while the M350 gets 19 seconds. 20 seconds will be an option. And while the interiors mirror the electric version, the 320 and M350 benefit from a slightly larger boot: 450 liters for the ICE versions, compared to 420 for the i3. But it’s the electric that offers more – a whole liter more – thanks to a 31-liter front trunk.

They also benefit from the i3’s technologies, including BMW’s OS Naturally, there’s a level of unnatural AI on board in the form of Amazon’s Alexa+. Because AI has been SO respectable lately, why not put it everywhere.

Anyway. We also have more news on the 3er’s electric drivetrains – we now know that BMW will launch the i3 in 40 xDrive and 50 xDrive variants. The 40 gets 369 hp, 384 lb-ft, a 0-62 mph time of 5.4 sec, an 82.8 kWh battery, 441 miles of claimed range and up to 300 kW of DC charging.

The 50 ups the ante considerably. The figures show 463 hp, 476 lb-ft, 0-100 km/h in 4.7 sec, a 108.7 kWh battery, 566 miles of claimed range and, thanks to its 800 V bones, can charge up to 400 kW. You already know about the i3’s unique cell-to-pack construction and “Heart of Joy” control system, but if you’ve forgotten, just head over here.

Very soon, we will be treated to an even more vigorous i3 in the form of the M60 xDrive. No doubt it will be quick.

Prices for the i3 start at £47,925 for the 40 and £53,425 for the 50. Petrol cars are a little cheaper, starting at £44,975 for the BMW 320 and £66,785 for the M350.

As we said above, it’s a big and important car: since its launch in 1975, BMW has sold more than 18 million versions of the 3 Series worldwide, “making it the most successful model in the history of the BMW brand.” A great oak from the automotive forest, as TG’s Paul Horrell once described it.

Will this Neue Klasse version help it develop even further? Let us know below.