Facelifted 2024 BMW 3 Series and M3 priced

The updated 2024 BMW 3 Series line-up will be up the $6000 more affordable than the model it replaces when it arrives Down Under later this year, with the entry-level 330i now starting from $89,900 plus on-road costs.

That makes the most affordable 3 Series variant $4800 cheaper than the previous version, while the five-door Touring wagon version has had $6000 scraped off its retail price and now starts from $92,900 plus ORCs, despite the range-wide enhancements we’ve previously reported.

It’s not all good news, however. The top-spec BMW M340i xDrive is now priced from $114,500 plus ORCs – up nearly $9000 over its predecessor.

And the flagship M3 performance car line-up now starts from $163,700 for the six-speed manual (+$2400), $181,500 for the auto-only Competition xDrive (+$3800) and $183,500 for the Competition Touring xDrive wagon (+$3400).

As we reported in May, the G20-generation 3 Series has been treated to a second facelift to extend its lifecycle out to 2027 and the update brings some mild design tweaks, interior upgrades, tech enhancements and minor chassis alterations.

BMW Australia said it’s also enhanced standard equipment levels across the board, somewhat offsetting the enormous $10,100 increase implemented in 2023.

For 330i vehicles, that means an electric glass sunroof and a heated steering wheel and front seats have been added to the standard kit, list while the exterior is spruced up by the M Shadowline treatment with extended contents.

The rest of the spec sheet reads the same as before, with highlights including adaptive dampers, leather upholstery, power-adjustable M Sport seats, Live Cockpit Professional, wireless phone charging, powered boot lid/tailgate, M Sport brakes and ambient lighting.

The M340i xDrive meantime nabs ‘CraftedClarity’ glass trim elements and tyre pressure monitoring in addition to the above and the pre-existing adaptive LED headlights and harmon/kardon surround sound system.

No changes have been made to the respective 2.0-litre four-cylinder (190kW/400Nm) and 3.0-litre six-cylinder (285kW/500Nm) turbo-petrol powertrains, or the eight-speed automatic transmission they’re paired to as standard.

So there are no improvements on the official claimed 0-100km/h acceleration times, which stand at 5.8sec for the 330i, 6.1sec for the 330i Touring and 4.4sec for the M340i xDrive.

For reference, the European 330i and M340i come with an efficiency-boosting 48-volt mild-hybrid system that actually trims 10kW from the latter’s peak power output.

Major changes have been made under the bonnet of the M3 portfolio, however, given the now AWD-only Competition variants churn out 390kW instead of the previous 375kW.

That shaves half a second off their respective 0-200km/h times (11.8 and 12.4sec respectively) but not their 0-100km/h sprint times (3.5 and 3.6sec).

The M3’s equipment lists are all pretty much identical to the previous model year’s, beyond the addition of adaptive LED headlights and a ‘luxury’ instrument panel.

Range-wide tech and connectivity upgrades (M3 included) extend to the BMW Operating System 8.5 multimedia software, a customisable row of shortcuts, 5G connectivity and an augmented reality view for the sat-nav.

The ambient lighting, air-vent and steering wheel designs have also been updated.

Production of the latest 3 Series range gets underway this month, which means the first examples should arrive Down Under in the fourth quarter of this year.

How much does the 2024 BMW 3 Series cost?
330i – $89,900 (-$4800)
330i Touring – $92,900 (-$6000)
M340i xDrive – $114,900 (+$8700)
M3 (m) – $163,700 (+$2400)
M3 Competition xDrive – $181,500 (+$3800)
M3 Competition Touring xDrive – $183,500 (+$3400)
* Prices exclude on-road costs

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