The 2023 BMW 3 Series features a newly designed cockpit anchored by a curved display, which pairs a 12.3-inch information display behind the steering wheel and a 14.9-inch center control display.
The model features BMW’s iDrive 8 infotainment system with the automaker’s newest operating system. The BMW Operating System 8 processes twice the number of information signals and 20 times more data volume than before.
The latest changes to the seventh-generation 3 Series help bridge the gap between combustion engine models to future electric versions, said Sam Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions.
“BMW sees the additional competition within the luxury and near-luxury markets, especially from EV players, and wants to hit them head-on,” Fiorani said. “Updates like these show that the long-running 3 Series is not ready to cede its market position without a fight.”
A 3 Series battery-electric vehicle is targeted for a U.S. sales launch in 2026, Fiorani said, in line with BMW’s plans for a new platform for midsize BEVs in 2025. BMW Group expects at least one out of every two vehicles sold to be fully electric by 2030, if not sooner.
Since the debut of the original in 1975, more than 16 million BMW 3 Series have been delivered. The model accounts for about 14 percent of the brand’s vehicle sales worldwide.
The 2023 BMW 3 Series will arrive in stores in July. The 3 Series vehicles for the U.S. market will be built exclusively in BMW’s new factory in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.