While it may not be the fully-electric, Tesla-killing 5 Series 'Power BEV' that the German brand was testing earlier this year, BMW has taken the covers of their 3 Series plug-in hybrid, and it doesn't look like a slouch.
Joining the sports sedan ranks as a plug-in hybrid might seem like a strange move, but from the stats that have been released about the 330e so far, it seems more than capable.
Predominantly powering the 330e is BMW's 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which produces 135kW. Throw an 83kW electric motor into the mix, and you've got a combined output of 185kW, but it doesn't stop there.
Potentially inspired by the Fast and Furious movie franchise, BMW has developed an electric feature dubbed 'XtraBoost', which works in a similar way to nitrous oxide. Mashing the gas pedal once Sport mode is activated will allow for the total power output to be pushed to 215kW for a short amount of time.
According to BMW, the 330e can make the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.9 seconds and will max out at 230km/h. The German brand didn't specify whether XtraBoost was used to achieve these figures or not.
Just like the standard 330, the plug-in hybrid version comes in a range of trim levels, and features an M Sport variant that has adaptive suspension and M Sport brakes.
While spirited driving might be fun, the 330e was built to conserve fuel, and is able to hit 110km/h while using electric-only power hybrid mode. In fully-electric mode, 140km/h is achievable.
To make room for the rear-mounted 12 kWh lithium-ion battery, the boot space of the 330 did take a little hit. This battery is capable of an electric-only range of 59-66 kilometres.
The regular 330e is currently launching worldwide, with a trailer-towing version to come in November, and the 330e Touring wagon to come in 2020.
