The 2019 BMW 330i is once again a joy to drive

The newest generation of the BMW 3 Series launches in this 330i trim.

It has a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, rated for 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This tester also has all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The car is now more fuel efficient. This 330i xDrive tester is rated for 25 miles per gallon city and 34 mpg highway, versus 23/33 mpg for its predecessor.

Atop the dash is a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system running BMW's iDrive 7 software. Although some features are buried deep into menus, the primary display pages, for navigation, music and phone calling, are self-explanatory and have a very easy learning curve.

My test car has a 12.3-inch Live Cockpit Pro digital instrument cluster. A monochrome (and relatively low-detail) map sits in the center of the screen, while on the right-hand side I can pull up details like fuel-economy info, G-force readouts or even the currently playing song's album art.

Connectivity includes USB ports of both the Type-A and Type-C variety, optional wireless phone charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless Apple CarPlay support -- though Android Auto remains unavailable.

Need more speed than this BMW 330i? Don't forget, there's also an M340i model with a six-cylinder turbo engine good for 382 hp.

The optional Driving Assistant Professional feature adds adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, as well as lane-centering steering -- but it's not a hands-off autonomous system. Extended Traffic Jam Assistant can accelerate, steer and brake in heavy traffic at speeds below 37 mph, and it has a camera in the instrument cluster that "watches" to ensure the driver is still looking at the roadway; if so, he or she won't even need to touch the wheel.

The 2019 BMW 330i starts at $41,245 (with destination) in rear-wheel drive form and $43,245 for the xDrive variant. My tester boasts a list price of $58,770.

Keep clicking or scrolling to see more of the 2019 BMW 330i xDrive.