The updated BMW 3 Series will soon be available in South Africa, though the base 318i will fall away. Here’s how much the latest version of the G20-gen sedan will cost you…
At the end of May 2024, the G20-generation BMW 3 Series received a 2nd update. Now, just ahead of its arrival in South Africa, we have local pricing for Munich’s revised premium sedan.
Interestingly, the base 318i – which had been available in both standard and M Sport trim – falls away, meaning the local 3 Series portfolio shrinks from 8 derivatives to 6 (not including the high-performance M3 Competition Sedan and M3 Competition Touring, that is).
So, the revised line-up now kicks off with the 320i, which is priced from R913 731 in standard form. Since the outgoing 318i started at R828 731, that means the entry point to G20 ownership has effectively increased by a considerable R85 000.
The 320i – which again offers 135 kW and 300 Nm from a turbocharged 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine, driving the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission – is furthermore available in M Sport trim, pushing the price to R963 731.
Meanwhile, the 320d starts at R965 377, with the M Sport version priced from R1 015 377 (as our learned friends over at duoporta.com pointed out, both of these figures interestingly include an additional R4 500, with BMW seemingly forcing the selection of the “storage for wireless charging” option). As a reminder, the 320d again employs a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel motor delivering an unchanged 140 kW and 400 Nm to the rear axle, likewise through an 8-speed auto.
As before, the 330i is available exclusively in M Sport guise, with the starting price seemingly unchanged at R1 034 067. Like the 320i, this derivative is powered by a 2.0-litre turbopetrol unit, though peak outputs here have been hiked to 190 kW and 400 Nm.
Finally, the M340i xDrive again starts at R1 364 607, with this M Performance variant’s turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-6 petrol motor offering 285 kW and 500 Nm to all 4 wheels. Interestingly, BMW SA’s website furthermore shows technical data for the 330e plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), though this variant is not included on the latest price list.
So, what exactly does this update encompass, considering the 3 Series benefitted from a full mid-cycle refresh (or LCI, as BMW calls it) as recently as 2022? Well, the Munich-based firm has made very few changes to the 3 Series sedan’s exterior, offering only a couple of new paint colours (Arctic Race Blue metallic and Fire Red metallic) and a handful of fresh alloy-wheel designs.
Under-the-skin tweaks, however, include various chassis updates that ostensibly result in a “notable increase in comfort across all driving situations”. Inside, meanwhile, you’ll find new steering-wheel designs, “visual modifications for the instrument panel” and “modernised decorative elements”, along with fresh upholstery options.
The updated 3 Series furthermore upgrades to the latest-generation “BMW iDrive with QuickSelect”, based on BMW Operating System 8.5, while the interior lighting system now includes “cascade lighting” integrated into the trim around the central seam vents. There’s also a new “CraftedClarity” option, which sees the gear-selector lever, iDrive controller and start/stop button fashioned from glass.
How much does the updated BMW 3 Series cost in SA?
BMW 320i – R913 731
BMW 320d – R965 377
BMW 320i M Sport – R963 731
BMW 320d M Sport – R1 015 377
BMW 330i M Sport – R1 034 067
BMW M340i xDrive – R1 364 607
The prices above include a 2-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and BMW’s 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.
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