With BMW confirming the Neue Klasse will usher in an electric 3 Series Sedan in a couple of years, some have been wondering whether the ICE model will live to see another generation. Based on what we know, there will be a true successor to the G20 Sedan. BMWBLOG reported on the yet-to-be-confirmed existence of the G50 back in August 2022 when we said the luxury sports saloon would stick to the familiar CLAR bones.
It looks as though the next-generation 3 Series will have to wait as an insider familiar with BMW’s agenda claims production of the G20 won’t end until October 2026. It would seem the sports sedan’s demise has actually been brought forward since the initial report stated BMW would pull the plug on the current-gen 3er in February 2027.
One month after terminating production of the G20, BMW will allegedly kick off manufacturing of the G50, in November 2026. These unconfirmed details were shared by a reputable source from the Bimmer Post forums who has been more right than wrong in recent years. He alleges the next-gen 3 Series will come in 318, 320, 330, 330 xDrive, and M350 xDrive versions (yes, without the “i” at the end). Later in the life cycle, a 320 xDrive and a 330e are said to be planned, along with broader availability of the 330 since it’ll initially be a US-focused variant.
Oddly enough, there are no details about any potential diesel models at this point. It seems unlikely another gasoline-fueled M3 will be launched since BMW M is dead set on turning the high-performance sedan into an EV. The Neue Klasse architecture will underpin the first purely electric M cars, with an M3 Sedan, M3 Touring, iX3 M, and iX4 M believed to be on the way in the latter half of the decade.
Meanwhile, the G20 will get a pseudo-LCI in 2024 when the M3 will also go through a nip and tuck. We’re hearing BMW is giving the regular 3 Series an illuminated grille and crystal controls as options, along with new materials and trims. There might also be some fresh alloy wheels along with mild tweaks to the engines to make them comply with upcoming Euro 7 regulations.
Should the G20 survive until October 2026, it will have been exactly eight years at retirement since the model went into production in mid-October 2018.
Source: Bimmer Post
