2025 BMW 330e Plug-in Hybrid PHEV review

Priced from £47,095 | On sale Now

Fusion food. We've all heard of it, but what exactly is it? Well, it’s combining different culinary traditions in seemingly unusual ways – and when done skilfully, the results can be spectacular. Ever tried a Kenyan Scotch egg? You really should.

You can think of the new 330e as a fusion car. It combines BMW's long-standing tradition of making sharp-driving petrol cars with the latest plug-in hybrid technology. What’s more, like the regular BMW 3 Series, the 330e is also available in Touring (estate car) guise, with a bigger boot and added practicality.

For company car drivers, that’s great news because it means you can have a 3 Series while also significantly lowering the amount of BIK tax you pay. In that respect, this latest version is the best yet, cutting official CO2 emissions to just 19g/km and boosting the electric-only range to more than 60 miles. 

In other words, the 330e certainly seems to have plenty of appeal. The question is, does it have enough appeal to drag people away from the best plug-in hybrids, including the Mercedes C-Class and Volvo V60? Read on to find out … 

What’s the new BMW 330e like to drive?

As the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the 3 Series, the 330e combines a 181bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine with a 108bhp electric motor, giving you a total of 289bhp at the command of your right foot. 

That’s more than enough power for everyday driving and, thanks to the 330e getting instant power from its electric motor, means that pulling away from a junction quickly is a doddle. Indeed, BMW’s official numbers quote a 0-62mph sprint of just 5.9 seconds – faster than the Mercedes C300e but around half a second slower than the Volvo V60. 

Of course, aside from boosting power, the big advantage of that electric motor, and the 19.5kWh battery it’s attached to, is the ability to boost efficiency by driving on electricity alone. In the case of the new 330e, you’ll officially travel up to 62 miles in the saloon between charges, or 60 miles if you go for the Touring version. 

That’s further than the V60 (57 miles), and we suspect it’ll be more than enough to cover most people’s commutes, potentially keeping fuel bills down. It’s worth noting that the C300e goes even further between charges, managing up to 71 miles.

To make sure the petrol engine stays switched off, you need to put the 330e in its electric driving mode and avoid using the lower reaches of the accelerator pedal. However, in the other driving modes, the 330e will power itself along using mostly its electric motor when there's charge in the battery and you're driving gently. 

Once the battery is out of juice, the petrol engine is forced to get its hands dirty. Don’t expect spectacular fuel economy at this point, because the 330e is a little more than 300kg heavier than a regular petrol 3 Series (blame the battery and electric motor).

Given that difference in weight, the fact that it’s not quite as agile probably comes as no surprise. However, it's still pretty fun to drive and more engaging than the C300e, leaning less through tight twists and turns and feeling altogether better balanced. The precise, well-weighted steering gives you a good sense of how much grip there is, too.

Our test car was an M Sport model fitted with BMW’s M Adaptive Suspension, an option that we’d definitely recommend. You see, it gives you the ability to stiffen and soften the suspension at the touch of a button – something that helps when it comes to handling and comfort. 

On the subject of comfort, the 330e feels generally firmer than the C300e and V60, even when you flick its suspension into the most comfortable mode. As a result, the BMW remains more settled over undulating roads, but isn’t quite as good as the C300e when it comes to soaking up imperfections and potholes. 

There's a noticeable amount of road noise at 70mph, so the 330e isn't the quietest cruiser, but it's far from a rowdy companion on motorway jaunts.

As for charging, the 330e's battery has a maximum charge rate of up to 11kW, meaning that it’ll charge from 0-100% in around two and a quarter hours. The cable to do that is standard with every 330e, but you can also add an optional mode 2 cable, which can be used with 2.3kW domestic plugs and will take around 12 hours to charge from 0-100%.

What’s the new BMW 330e like inside? 

While the 330e looks pretty much identical inside to most other versions of the BMW 3 Series at a glance, there are some details that are easy to miss. For example, you get handy read-outs on the digital dials behind the steering wheel that are unique to this PHEV model.

They show you how much charge you have in the battery, and there's a read-out that tells you how far down you can press the accelerator before the petrol engine kicks in. You'll also notice a few different buttons on the centre console for the various driving modes.

If you’re wondering how the engineers have managed to squeeze a big battery into the 3 Series' already fairly compact dimensions, well here’s your answer: by stealing space from the boot. Yep, the 330e saloon has about 100 litres less boot space than regular petrol counterparts – that’s still enough space for a large family shop or a pushchair, and more than the C300e, mind. 

Buyers looking for a more practical PHEV will want to consider the 330e version of the BMW 3 Series Touring instead. As with the saloon, the 330e estate has less space than its petrol counterpart, but offers more space overall. 

For more information on the interior see our BMW 3 Series review.

New BMW 330e verdict

The latest BMW 330e makes a lot of sense if you're a company car driver paying BIK tax because it keeps monthly costs low – although not as low as an electric car.

Better still, it manages to add those benefits while still maintaining the best bits of the regular 3 Series. Indeed, it’s fun to drive, comfortable over long drives and has a great infotainment system. To make things even better, we’d advise adding the optional M Adaptive Suspension. 

True, the smaller boot might present an issue for some, but if you can live with that, there’s very little about the 330e not to like. 

What Car? rating 5 stars out of 5

BMW 330e M Sport price and specs

Price £48,345 Engine 4cyl, 1998cc, turbo petrol plus electric motor Power 289bhp at 5000-6500rpm Torque 310lb ft at 1350-4000rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic 0-62mph 5.9sec Top speed 143mph Economy 353mpg (WLTP combined) CO2, tax band 19g/km, 9%

Key rivals:

Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300e

Volvo V60 

Read our BMW 3 Series review

Read more: Best plug-in hybrid cars 2025

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