BMW 330e hides electric smarts under sport sedan body
With its new 330e, BMW promises a combination of electric drive efficiency and traditional sport sedan handling.
BMW expands its 3-series lineup for the 2017 model year with the 330e plug-in hybrid.
The 330e includes a standard electric vehicle charging port on its left-front fender, letting you charge its 7.6 kilowatt-hour battery pack from the grid.
Along with its 87 horsepower electric motor, the 330e gets propulsion from a turbocharged two-liter four-cylinder engine making 180 horsepower.
Beyond the charging port and eDrive badges, the 330e looks like a standard 3-series.
The plug-in hybrid drivetrain lets the 330e drive as an electric car for 14 miles before the engine kicks in.
With a 50:50 weight balance, the 330e handles very well, as expected for a BMW.
The total drive system output for the 330e comes to 248 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
The kidney grille remains a standard BMW design cue.
LED headlights on this example use much less energy and will last much longer than HID lamps.
eDrive badges sit on the C-pillars.
The 330e invites both economical, everyday driving and rear-wheel-drive sport handling.