[auto] 2021 BMW 330e Review – No, really, it’s a plug-in hybrid

[King_of_lion]

Some electrified cars can’t stop shouting about their green credentials, but the 2021 BMW 330e sedan is a little more surreptitious about its plug-in hybrid status. Then again, were I a member of the latest 3 Series family, I’d probably not want my electric drive to potentially overshadow the rest of the features that have long made BMW’s compact sedan a best-seller. It’s all about balance, and when it comes to going green that can be a tricky thing to judge.
First, the familiar. Take a glance at the 2021 330e and you might struggle to see the differences between it and a non-hybrid version. Same chromed grille at the front – looking, I have to say, positively conservative in both size and shape compared to the snouts of some other recent BMW models – and same handsome rear-wheel drive proportions. Nobody is going to find the latest 3 Series offensive, and whether you see that as an advantage or otherwise depends on how close to design trends you like to skirt.
Let’s hedge our bets and say that the 330e is likely to age gracefully. There are some lovely details, too, like the glint of blue from the M Sport Brakes and the 19-inch M wheels, but some of them you pay extra for: the upgraded brakes are part of the $1,400 Dynamic Handling Package that also adds Adaptive M Suspension and variable sport steering. The Icon Adaptive LED headlamps with Laserlight, meanwhile, come with the $2,600 Executive Package in which you also find active blind spot monitoring, a head-up display, and a number of other niceties.
Personally, I’d have liked the headlamps and the blind spot alerts to come standard, given the $44,550 sticker price (plus $995 destination); $2k more gets the 2021 330e xDrive with all-wheel drive. The US federal tax incentive could be worth up to $5,836, though, which saps a little of the sting. All the same, with add-ons and extras, my review car came in at a heady $59,645; the incentive could’ve knocked that down to under $54k, which is about what a new M340i sedan will cost you.
BMW’s plug-in hybrid system combines its 2.0-liter TwinPower turbo inline-4 gas engine with an electric motor and an 8-speed Sport Automatic transmission. Total power is 288 hp and 310 lb-ft, with the electric part contributing 107 hp and 77 lb-ft of that. 0-60 mph comes in 5.6 seconds, while top speed is 130 mph (or 142 mph with the optional performance tires).

That adds up to 33 hp and 16 lb-ft more than the non-hybrid 330i, but no change in acceleration. Blame weight for that: the 12 kWh lithium-ion pack tucked behind the rear seats isn’t huge in battery terms, but it still helps take the 330e to 4,039 pounds, or not far off 500 pounds more than the gas-only car.
What the 330i can’t do, of course, is drive on electric power alone. Nor does the non-hybrid get BMW’s overboost feature in Sport mode: kick down fully on the accelerator and the electric motor will add 40 horsepower more, albeit only for 10 second spurts, though impressively it still works even if the battery meter says it’s empty. The 330e starts up in Hybrid Auto mode, and the 2021 version taps its bigger battery for significantly more range than the last-generation: 23 miles according to the EPA, compared to just 14. The all-wheel drive model dips slightly, to 20 miles.

Even with the bigger battery, I’m not going to tell you that these are incredible range figures. Luxury plug-in hybrids typically clock in at around the 18-24 mile range on a charge, enough for basic errands around town but nothing more extensive. Most of the time, I found, it made most sense to put the 2021 330e into hybrid mode, and leave the BMW to make its own decisions about whether to use gas, electric, or both while I focused on the road.