BMW 3 Series lineup trimmed: base model and hybrids axed in Australia

BMW Australia has trimmed its 3 Collection midsize sedan lineup in Australia, axing the 320i snide mannequin and 330e dash-in hybrid.

The beforehand mid-spec 330i will act because the new entry variant in the streamlined fluctuate, with price of entry to 3 Collection possession rising by $14,500 due to this.

Until now traders could well aquire into the 3 Collection lineup at $80,200 for the 320i, sooner than stepping up to the now entry stage 330i at $94,700. The 330e asked for $98,700.

The brand new price of entry is a prime step up for the 3 Collection, which used to be at the muse priced at an entry-stage impress of $64,900 for the 320i when the most modern generation launched in mid-2019. At the time, a 330i will be bought for $70,900.

A mid-existence facelift – or ‘existence cycle impulse’ in BMW-communicate – which featured styling tweaks and a prime inner tech update grasp taken convey in the four years since, bringing in regards to the largest impress jump for the automobiles in their most modern generation.

In response to the changes, a spokesperson for BMW Australia talked about: “the high quantity of recent BMW objects launched to the local market prompts us to persistently assess our product portfolio basically based fully on buyer predict and our commitment to offering products that swimsuit individual wants.

“This has led us to restructure the BMW 3 Collection variants for 2024.”

The transfer brings the total assortment of fashioned 3 Collection objects down to 2 – the 330i and M340i xDrive, which retails at $106,200. This doesn’t encompass the high-efficiency M3 mannequin lineup, which is unaffected. Neither is there any impact on wagons, with both 330i Touring and M3 Competition xDrive Touring objects unaffected too – a 320i or 330e Touring were never provided in Australia.

BMW Australia added: “Within the electrified self-discipline, we’ll have the flexibility to shift our focus from the 330e dash-in hybrid to the fully electrical i4 eDrive35. This newly launched offering is priced at $85,900, exempting it from both Luxurious Automotive Tax (LCT) for gasoline atmosphere friendly automobiles and Fringe Advantages Tax (FBT) for snappily operators.”

Remaining 12 months the 3 Collection shifted 3147 objects for BMW, making it the emblem’s fourth most traditional automobile after the X1 (4644), X3 (4002), and X5 (3682) SUVs.

The three Collection used to be the 2d most traditional automobile in the medium automobile over $60,000 category, turning in a 9.5 p.c market allotment and provocative extra objects than opponents cherish the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2625), Polestar 2 (2463), and Audi A4 (863).

Nonetheless, the Tesla Mannequin 3 used to be by far the most dominant automobile in the segment with 17,347 objects delivered and a 52.4 p.c market allotment.

It’s unclear what percentage of 3 Collection gross sales were made up by the 320i and 330e sedans.

The records comes after BMW basic overtaking rival Mercedes-Benz because the accurate-promoting German top class imprint in Australia final 12 months, provocative a total of 26,184 automobiles and SUVS.

BMW 3 Collection 2024: costs in Australia

All costs listed are sooner than on-aspect toll road payments.

• 330i sedan: $94,700
• 330i Touring wagon: $98,700
• M340i xDrive sedan: $106,200
• M3 sedan: $161,300
• M3 Competition sedan: $171,600
• M3 Competition sedan xDrive: $177,800
• M3 Competition Touring xDrive: $180,100
• M3 CS: $249,900