Quiz: BMW 330e iPerformance M Sport – can a plug-in hybrid be sporty?

Athletic or humble, or both?

When the sixth generation (brand F2011) BMW 30 Series hit the market in 3, it didn't take long for BMW to introduce a hybrid version. It was called the Active Hybrid 3, and as the Bavarians did a few years ago, they added a small electric motor to a large and powerful six-cylinder engine to create a hybrid that was sporty rather than humble. More precisely: the first was easy, the second could not be. 330e wants to be different. The petrol six-cylinder engine said goodbye and was replaced by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which BMW mainly designed with fuel consumption in mind. The eight-speed automatic transmission is already an integral part of BMW, and here the electric motor is installed in a location that would otherwise be occupied by the torque converter.

40 kilometers by electric drive

So even in the 330e, engineers have managed to cram the hybrid system into as little space as possible to maintain the car's day-to-day suitability, even in terms of boot space. She has 370 liters, flat bottom, but also retained the ability to fold the rear seats. The battery is slightly smaller than the (hybrid set) of the technically related X5, as it has 5,7 kilowatt hours of usable capacity (otherwise the total capacity is 7,6 kilowatt hours), which is enough for a standard 40 kilometers of all-electric driving... This BMW 330e is capable of speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour in all-electric mode (MAX eDRIVE) or up to 80 kilometers per hour in hybrid mode (AUTO eDRIVE). The 330e also has a way to keep the battery charged. It can be charged in just over two hours from a regular power outlet and installed under the bottom of the trunk.

The 50:50 ratio is maintained!

Interesting: BMW engineers managed to keep the mass ratio of the front and rear axles at the ideal level of 50:50, despite the rather heavy components of the hybrid assembly, and yes, the total system power and the additional torque of the electric motor (namely torque - saving gasoline with a turbo) also give the 330e plug-in hybrid enough sporty performance that its owners not only look with sadness at the owners of the remaining versions of the 3 Series, but also vice versa. Electric motor with 88 horsepower, above all 250 newton meters of torque Powerful enough to keep the 330e going fast – with a system power of 252 horsepower, the 330e can sprint from 6,1-40 in just 25 seconds. A standard electric range of 30 kilometers is, of course, almost impossible to achieve due to the outdated standard prescribed by the EU for these measurements, and the actual daily range is somewhere between 330 and XNUMX kilometers, which is still enough for a fully electric city. driving. And with the exception of a button labeled eDrive to change the way the hybrid system works, and a few other XNUMXe gauges (which are an outdated counterpart), that doesn't reveal its environmental nature at all. Nothing out of the ordinary - hybrids and plug-in hybrids, even for a BMW, are something completely mundane, and therefore there is no need for them to be anything special either in appearance or in terms of handling.

Dusan Lukic

photo: Cyril Komotar

BMW 330e 330e iPerformance M Sport

Basic data

Base model price:	€ 44.750 XNUMX €
Test model cost:	€ 63.437 XNUMX €
Power:	65kW (88 KM)
Acceleration (0-100 km / h):	6,1 with
Maximum speed:	225 km / h

Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)

Technical information

engine:	4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbocharged petrol - propeller volume 1.998 cm3 - maximum power 135 kW (184 hp) at 5.000–6.500 rpm – maximum torque 290 Nm at 1.350–4.250 rpm
Energy transfer:	engines are driven by the rear wheels - 8-speed automatic Gearbox - tires 255/40 R 18 Y (Bridgestone Potenza S001)
Capacity:	top speed 225 km/h – acceleration 0–100 km/h 6,1 s - top speed 120 km / h - average in the combined cycle fuel consumption (ECE) 2,1-1,9 l / 100 km, CO2 emissions 49-44 g / km - electric range (ECE) 37-40 km, battery charge time 1,6 h (3,7 kW / 16 A)
Mass:	empty vehicle 1.660 kg - permissible total weight 2.195 kg
External dimensions:	length 4.633 mm - width 1.811 mm - height 1.429 mm - wheelbase 2.810 mm
Inner dimensions:	flammable container 41 l
Box:	trunk 370 liters