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BMW updates its strong-selling 330e plug-in hybrid with greatly improved range and more comfort. Does it keep it ahead of the class? Lawrence Allan delves deeper.
Things you'll like
- Great to drive yet comfortable
- Strong performance and efficiency
- Classy, driver-focused interior
Things to consider
- Some key kit is still optional
- A few rivals still beat it for EV range
- Saloon boot is on the small side
What is the BMW 330e?
The BMW 3 Series is now in its 50th year, but little has changed in terms of its market position – it’s still the default compact executive car for those after a premium feel and a sporting edge.
As a result, it’s also been one of the most popular company cars for decades. Business users love its strong image, its driver-focused cabin and its ability to efficiently and comfortably munch miles. That appeal reached a peak, however, when the ‘F30’ generation 330e plug-in hybrid arrived back in 2016.
The diesel-dominated fleet sector suddenly had a real challenger. A car that – officially at least – emitted half the CO2 of the most efficient diesel 3 Series, dramatically slashing company car tax costs.
Going on sale amid the diesel emissions saga, when both public and government sentiment towards the fuel started to sour, the BMW 330e and other PHEVs quickly began flooding office car parks.
By the time the latest generation 330e arrived in 2019, both range and charging speeds had improved. And now, in 2025, they’ve improved substantially again, with an update almost doubling the electric range on a charge. Is the 330e still one of the benchmark PHEVs as a result? We’ll find out in this review.
Verdict: is the BMW 330e a good car?
The outgoing 330e was already a good car, but this latest update addresses its off-the-pace range on a charge with a significant boost. It can’t quite match some rivals for outright range and on-paper efficiency, though, meaning there are cheaper company car options. But if you want a classy, capable, solidly built and fun to drive PHEV, you can’t go far wrong with a 330e.
Pricing, specs & rivals
Private buyers will be pleased to hear that list prices for the BMW 330e haven’t increased much (if at all) with the recent update. At the time of writing (June 2025) 330e prices start at £47,185 for an entry-level Sport model.
Popular M Sport trim increases that price to £48,435. Meanwhile, you’ll need another £1,800 for a 330e Touring estate, with an M Sport Touring crossing the £50,000 barrier.
Those prices are very competitive by premium standards, undercutting the Volvo V60 T6 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300e. The VW Passat eHybrid and Skoda Superb iV undercut the BMW by even more, but perhaps not by as much as you’d expect. It’s also worth noting that a Tesla Model 3 is cheaper than all of these, if you’re considering moving to fully electric instead.
In terms of standard kit, the BMW 330e Sport gets a decent tally including LED headlights, three-zone climate control, heated front seats, cruise control and the full suite of infotainment functions.
Stepping up to M Sport doesn’t pile on tech features, instead focusing on styling upgrades including sportier bumpers, 18in alloys, black exterior detailing and part faux leather, part Alcantara upholstery. A sportier suspension tune is also added. Some buyers might be disappointed to see kit such as adaptive cruise control relegated to the options list across the range, however.
Rivals
There are a few hybrid alternatives to the 330e on the market. Its main rivals in terms of size, price and premium appeal are the Mercedes-Benz C300e and the hybrid-only Volvo V60, while the new Audi A5 is due to receive PHEV variants soon.
You might also consider larger, more mainstream models such as the estate-only Skoda Superb iV and Volkswagen Passat eHybrid, too. But you may also be mulling over fully electric cars, such as the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai IONIQ 6, Polestar 2 and BMW’s own 3 Series-sized EV, the i4.
BMW 330e: Interior comfort, quality & technology
Other than the boot (more on that in the next section) the 330e is fundamentally no different from other 3 Series models inside. And that’s no bad thing, because despite this car’s relative age it remains among the best cabins in its class.
The design isn’t as glitzy as a C-Class, sure, but its still a smartly designed environment, with driver-focused controls and a simple layout. Quality is strong, too, with plenty of plush-feeling materials on the doors, dash and centre console and nice metal effect trims – it hasn’t aged at all in that respect, feeling better put together than any rival bar the Volvo V60.
There’s little to complain about with the driving position, either. The seat is supportive yet comfortable for long journeys, there’s plenty of adjustment in the seats and wheel and you can sit low down, living up to that sporty feel. The armrests are comfortable, too. Our only complaints are adjustable lumbar support isn’t standard, while the pedals are ever so slightly offset to the right.
Slim front pillars and deep windows mean that, despite the low-mounted driver’s seat, you still get a great view forwards and to the side. The rear view is a little compromised due to thick pillars, but it’s better in the Touring version.
Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity
Every version of the 330e is equipped with a large 14.9-inch curved infotainment screen mounted on a dash-top plinth alongside a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display.
It’s a great system overall. The screens are sharp, bright and have high resolution graphics, while for the most part the menus remain intuitive. That’s helped by the 330e retaining the rotary iDrive controller that’s absent from a number of newer-design BMWs, making using the system less distracting on the move than reaching over to prod the touchscreen.
It’s a better system than pretty much every rival, though our only complaint is that the latest system puts the climate controls on the touchscreen rather than via a separate physical control bank you found on the earliest version of this generation.
Of course, you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, plus a variety of optional subscription services. You’ll also find two USB-C ports up front, a USB-A port and a further two USB-Cs for the rear seats. The standard stereo system delivers decent enough sound, but once you’ve heard the optional Harmon Kardon system you’ll find it hard to go back.
How practical is the BMW 330e?
There have been no changes to the 330e’s exterior dimensions in this update, so it’s still 4,713mm long, 1,827mm wide and 1,440mm tall in both saloon and Touring form.
That’s a whopping 200mm shorter than the Superb, so the 3 Series is no space champion. But you’ll still find plenty of room up front (indeed, slightly more legroom than the Mercedes C300e), with plenty of headroom and cabin width even for taller and broader folk.
Interestingly, the 3 Series also has slightly more room in the back than the C300e, despite being nearly 40mm shorter. Two six-foot adults can get reasonably comfortable behind drivers of similar size, and three will fit at a push, but we’d divert you to the limo-like Skoda if rear space was a priority.
The 330e Touring isn’t significantly roomier than the saloon, but rear headroom is improved and access through the rear doors is better, too.
Storage and boot space
There’s little surprise and delight in terms of cabin storage in the 330e, but what’s there is useful. You’ll find a big glovebox, well-shaped door bins with partitions to stop items from rolling back and forth, and a decent cubby space under the centre armrest. There are also two cupholders and the (optional) wireless phone charging pad hidden under a lid in the dash centre.
The 330e keeps the handy 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats of the regular models, allowing you to make use of the outer seats while a long load can squeeze through the folded middle seat. Most rivals don’t offer this, and the seats themselves are easily folded via levers in the boot.
Practicality takes a dive, however, when it comes to the boot itself. At 375 litres, the 330e saloon’s boot capacity is a full 105 litres down on the mild hybrid models, with a much shallower load area due to the battery sitting under the boot floor. Still, that’s better than the severely compromised 315 litre boot of the C300e.
The Touring model only increases that to 410 litres on paper (down from the regular Touring’s 500 litres) but in practice it’s far more practical than the saloon, with a much wider boot opening and the ability to load items up to the roof. Again, that’s quite a bit bigger than the almost comical 360 litres a C300e estate offers.
Performance & drive: What is the BMW 330e like on the road?
BMW hasn’t chucked a load of extra weight in the 330e with this new battery pack – it’s about 15kg heavier spec-for-spec, but that won’t make any difference in the real world.
With the same power and torque figures as the outgoing 330e, performance is pretty much identical. On paper it’s one-tenth slower in the 0-62mph sprint, but again it’s really not noticeable, with the car feeling swift in all situations. As before, the powertrain makes 252bhp in normal driving, only accessing the full 292hp ‘Xtraboost’ mode for short periods in Sport mode.
Whether rolling about town in electric mode or utilising both power sources getting up to motorway speeds, the 330e always feels brisk enough to entertain. It’ll still do 87mph in electric mode, too, meaning you can comfortably cover all UK road driving without ever needing to trouble the petrol engine.
In all situations the 330e is considerably faster than rivals VW or Skoda PHEVs, and slightly quicker on paper than the more powerful C300e. To go any faster you’ll need the Volvo V60 (in particular the T8 with its 455hp output) but the BMW is still more engaging on the road. Our only gripe is that, like many PHEVs, you can get a bit of delay when flooring the throttle as the system tries to combine both power sources and pick a gear.
Like all plug-ins the 330e has a regenerative braking system restoring charge into the battery, with a stronger ‘B’ mode for extra effect. There’s also an adaptive system that varies the regen according to camera and GPS data, which generally works well.
Power, 0-62mph times
- BMW 330e (all versions): 292hp/ 5.9 seconds
Ride and handling
The 3 Series has long set the class standard for handling (if not always ride comfort) and the latest version is no different. The sporting, well-sorted feel transfers over to the 330e, but there is a compromise.
The 330e weighs almost 250kg more than an equivalent 320 petrol, which is the same as having three strapping blokes on board. You do notice that mass in direction changes, where the PHEV just doesn’t feel quite as agile as other 3 Series models.
However, you’ll still find there’s enjoyment to be had, thanks to the sharp, well-judged steering, sense of balance and high levels of grip. BMW also reckons it’s improved comfort for this updated 330e without affecting handling, and we certainly found it smothered bumps well overall.
A caveat is that the version we tried came with optional adaptive dampers as part of the M Sport Pro pack. This lets you stiffen or soften off the suspension as needed, and overall gives a noticeable boost in ride comfort over a non-adaptive model, which would be on the firm side in M Sport trim. It’s an option box well worth ticking.
Noise and refinement
The 330e is, like all plug-in hybrids, at its quietest with some charge in the battery, allowing it to sail up to motorway speeds without ever rousing the petrol engine. When that engine is called into action, though, it’s not overly noisy.
The main intrusion when cruising along is road noise, made worse if you spec larger wheels – it’s not loud but it is more noticeable than some rivals. Wind noise is subdued, though, and while you can hear some suspension thumps over bumps opting for the adaptive suspension goes some way to mitigate this.
Euro NCAP: is the BMW 330e a safe car?
The 3 Series range received the maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP in crash tests back in 2019, when the car was first launched. That featured strong scores of 97% for adult occupant protection and 87% for child protection, although the test was less stringent then than it is now.
Unfortunately, Euro NCAP specifies that the overall 3 Series rating doesn’t apply to some variants including the 330e for two reasons: their kerbweight is too far from the spec of the cars tested, and additional testing is needed for hybrid vehicles. Regardless, we have no reason to believe that the 330e would be any less safe in an accident.
There’s also the usual standard safety kit to ensure that you don’t crash in the first place, such as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assistance and traffic sign recognition. The 3 Series isn’t as well equipped as many rivals in this area, however: things like adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert are part of an option pack.
Fuel economy and running costs
Lowering running costs is undoubtedly important if you’re looking for a plug-in hybrid, and BMW’s 2025 revisions to the 330e have pretty much entirely focused on that.
With the battery almost doubling in usable capacity, the increase in range translates to a big jump in official miles-per-gallon. The old version managed a creditable 217mpg on the WLTP combined test, but this new version achieves 353mpg in the same test procedure.
Those numbers are difficult to quantify, but effectively mean that if you’re using the 330e as its maker intended (charging it up at home or the workplace) you’ll be spending more time in electric-only mode and using significantly less fuel in the process. As the petrol engine is unchanged, it’s unlikely you’ll see any more MPG when you’re running without charge in the battery.
Just as key for 330e drivers is the reduction in CO2 emissions (down from 30gkm to 19g/km, depending on spec) and increased range, and the impact that has on company car tax, or Benefit-in-Kind (BiK). The latest version drops from a 13% BiK band to 9%, meaning potential four-figure savings over the course of a year for business users.
BMW 330e: electric range and charging
The evolution of battery and hybrid technology is clear to see when looking back at the 330e’s history. The original 2016 version had a battery capacity of just 7.6kWh, increasing to 12kWh when this current generation model launched in 2019. Six years on, and that capacity has jumped again to a substantial 22.3kWh.
As a result, the claimed range has increased from 25 miles in 2016, to just over 37 miles in 2019. And with this latest iteration it takes a big leap, up to 63 miles officially.
In isolation that’s good, and slightly ahead of the latest Volvo V60 T6. But a number of key rivals can go further officially, most notably the Passat eHybrid and Superb iV – both of which promise over 80 miles of range. The Mercedes-Benz C300e promises over 70 miles, too.
BMW is also slightly behind some competitors in not offering DC rapid charging for plug-in hybrids. Whether or not that matters when most owners or users are likely to use destination AC charging is up for debate, but it’s nice to have the choice.
At least BMW has now finally got with the times with AC charging: every 330e comes with an 11kW on-board charger, meaning where there’s access to three-phase electricity it’s possible to charge from full to empty in a touch over two hours, as opposed to over three hours using a typical 7kW home wallbox.
How much does the BMW 330e cost to insure?
The updated 330e sits one insurance group higher than the outgoing model, sitting in group 34 in saloon form and 35 in Touring form regardless of trim level. That’s unlikely to make much of a difference in real terms to insurance costs, while a Mercedes-Benz C300e’s groups are considerably higher. A Skoda Superb iV should be a bit cheaper to insure, however.
BMW 330e FAQs
Is the BMW 330e worth buying?
Yes, we reckon the BMW 330e is a great choice if you’re after a classy, fun to drive and comfortable plug-in hybrid, and the latest model’s improved range only makes the car better.
How many miles will a BMW 330e do on electric?
The latest 2025 BMW 330e can manage up to 62 miles of range on a single charge according to official tests, which is much more than the 37 miles of the earlier model.
How long will a BMW 330e battery last?
Along with BMW’s three-year unlimited mileage PHEV warranty, the 330’s battery pack has its own six-year or 60,000-mile warranty, whichever comes first. We’d expect the battery to hold a good state of charge beyond that period, however.
