BMW keeps a straight-six 3 Series with the M350 as rivals thin out
BMW has retained a non‑M straight-six 3 Series in the M350, a 437 bhp (326 kW) car that manages 0–62 mph in 4.1 seconds; with several traditional rivals gone or diminished, the M350 may soon stand largely alone.
By CarNews247 Reporter ·
BMW has preserved a non‑M straight‑six 3 Series in the form of the M350, a model that continues the marque’s long tradition of six‑cylinder saloons. The decision is notable because many observers expected the 3 Series to move almost entirely to electric power.
Underlining BMW’s broader strategy, the Vision Neue Klasse i3 electric will coexist with a new internal‑combustion 3 Series, and production plans see G50 model assembly moved to Dingolfing. The straight‑six engine will be manufactured at Steyr in Austria while the inline four will be produced in Warwickshire; the Munich plant is reported to stop making ICE cars by 2027.
The practical appeal of a sensibly sized rear‑biased saloon with an engaging but not excessive engine remains central to the M350’s case. The market for those kinds of cars has thinned in recent years, with models such as the Jaguar XE discontinued, the Alfa Romeo Giulia in and out of production, and cars like the Kia Stinger no longer filling the gap.
The M350’s headline figures are 437 bhp and 428 lb ft, which equate to about 326 kW and 580 Nm, and BMW cites a 0–62 mph time of 4.1 seconds. The car also wears a staggered‑wheel set‑up, an M Sport differential and an xDrive chassis; the all‑wheel‑drive system is expected to call on the front axle only in a measured, subtle fashion.
That specification leaves the M350 in a curious position: with far fewer directly comparable, easy‑going performance saloons on sale, it may be the only car of its kind in the UK market next year. Its closest in‑house rival will be the electric i3 50 xDrive, which is rated at 469 bhp (around 350 kW).
The M350 therefore arrives as something of a survivorship act — a traditional, medium‑rare 3 Series when much of the segment has either moved electrified, gone sporty and extreme, or simply disappeared. That also means there may be no conventional group test to benchmark it against a field of like rivals.
For drivers who prize a balanced saloon with a strong, characterful engine and a measured chassis, the M350 looks set to be one of the last of its kind — and, for many, more than sufficient on the road.
