The 2022 BMW 3 Series PHEV will come with no significant changes hence its features will be carried forward from the outgoing model. The sedan is similarly equipped to the 330i sedan with some additional trim-specific bits such as a hybrid-specific instrument cluster. On the inside, the car is generously equipped with a handsome list of features which include dual-zone automatic climate control, ambient interior lighting, auto-dimming IRVM, power-adjustable front sport seats with memory settings for driver’s seat and driver’s side ORVM, moonroof, and simulated leather upholstery. 

The exterior features include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED cornering lights, LED DRLs, automatic rain-sensing wipers, and heated side mirrors. The standard driver assistance techs include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, and lane-keeping assist. Some of the popular optional features include leather upholstery, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, Premium Package, and Executive Package.

We Recommend

Since the car is offered as a single trim only, we would recommend the Premium Package and the Executive Package for an enhanced experience with the sedan.

Release Date

There has been no official announcement about the release date of the car. Yet, as per the past timelines, the car is expected to hit the showrooms by fall 2021 or early 2022.

When BMW reintroduced the hybrid version of the 3 Series sedan in 2020, the brand proved that plug-in hybrid vehicles don’t need to be dull vehicles at all. From the 2020 model onwards, the hybrid also received a more powerful set of motors that increased the overall performance of the car significantly. The 2022 BMW 3 Series plug-in hybrid will be powered by the same hybrid unit from the outgoing model that comprises a 2.0-liter turbocharged motor paired with a Synchronous electric motor along with a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. 

The hybrid unit is capable enough to generate 288 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque and gets mated to a standard 8-speed ZF 8HP automatic transmission. As it is quite natural with ZF gearboxes, shifts are precise and quick and the motor remains mostly relaxed under varied driving conditions. In pure EV mode too, there is adequate juice from the electric motor to propel the sedan around the urban limits easily and effortlessly. In this mode, the sedan can travel up to 23 miles before the battery drains out completely and the gasoline motor takes charge. The 310 lb-ft of torque is available in the combined hybrid mode and it makes highway cruises exceptionally smooth and effortless.

The Volvo S60 Recharge poses a serious threat and a tough competition to the BMW 3 Series hybrid with its exceptional power figures but at a slightly higher price tag. The S60 gets a turbocharged and supercharged inline-4 motor that is paired with two electric motors. In combined mode, the car generates an impressive 400 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of maximum torque. The car benefits from its twin-charged engine since the system cancels out the basic drawbacks of the two popular forced induction systems. The result is a punchy performance and an impressive acceleration time of 4.4 seconds in combined mode. The all-electric range of the S60 is rated at 22 miles after which the gasoline motor takes over. The Toyota Camry Hybrid is a much cheaper alternative to the BMW 3 Series hybrid and its performance along with power figures absolutely justifies its lower price tag. The driving experience might not match up to the 3 Series but the ride quality and the value for money factor of the Camry is quite praiseworthy.

Hybrid vehicles do exist to offer a better alternative and lower fuel costs as compared to their internal combustion engine-powered models. In the case of luxury vehicles, the fuel economy part might not appeal to the conscious crowd, yet the figures are considerably better than the ICE-powered models. The 2022 BMW 3 Series Hybrid has a maximum electric range of 23 miles. In regular scenarios, the car returns an average of 25mpg within the city, 33mpg out on the highways, and 28mpg of combined mileage. The sedan has a 13.2-gallon gas tank and manages to offer 330 miles of city driving range, 435 miles of highway driving range, and 369 miles of combined range respectively.

The Volvo S60 Recharge does impress in the fuel economy department. Despite having a total power rating of 400 horsepower, the sedan manages to triumph over the less powerful 3 Series hybrid sedan. The city mileage of the S60 stands at 27mpg while the highway mileage is rated at 34mpg. The combined mileage is rated at 30mpg. Moreover, the sedan has a decent-sized gasoline tank of 15.9-gallon capacity and it translates to over 400 miles of driving range within the city, an impressive feat for a luxury sedan. The Toyota Camry Hybrid overwhelms with its fuel economy ratings. It has a city mileage of 44mpg, a highway mileage rating of 47mpg, and a combined rating of 46mpg. It also gets a similarly-sized fuel tank as the BMW and breaches the 600-mile mark. 

The G20 3 Series saw an impressive redesign both in terms of its interior and exterior. The interior of the 2022 BMW 3 Series Hybrid will be retained from the outgoing model. Hence, all the features and the design will be identical too. The cabin is spacious and is identical to the base 330i sedan. The main highlight of the cabin is its minimalistic design theme with a user-friendly layout of the dashboard and the signature premium fit and finish levels that you’d expect inside a BMW vehicle. All the controls are laid out in a simple arrangement and are easily accessible from the driver’s seat while driving. The center stack might look a bit busy owing to the buttons and iDrive controller. 

There is an armrest for both the driver and the passenger while it houses an additional storage space under it. The front seats offer excellent comfort levels with soft cushioning and 10-way power adjustments. The rear seats are quite comfortable too with a decent amount of headroom and legroom on offer. The cargo capacity is decent too with a maximum space of 13.2 cu-ft.

Volvo vehicles can offer some terrific levels of luxuries and comfort apart from those bonkers safety techs. The S60 Recharge sedan is a perfect compact executive sedan in which you can travel both in style and comfort. Even though the cabin might have a minimalistic design, it is actually as aesthetic and convenient as the German rivals in the segment. The interior has an almost negligible amount of buttons and instead, almost all the controls get integrated into the big centrally mounted infotainment screen. The soft-touch surfaces are all around the cabin and the front seats offer excellent comfort and support to the passenger and the driver. The rear seats are superbly comfortable too with adequate headroom, legroom, and shoulder-room in place. The Toyota Camry Hybrid is quite a comfortable car to live with too when compared to the pricier rivals on the list. It might miss out on the plenty of soft-touch materials and premium metallic inserts on the inside, but the overall build quality is commendable and the comfort levels are praiseworthy as well. The cabin is adequately spacious for all the passengers and the rear seats do offer more shoulder room than both the 3 Series and the S60 sedan. Even its cargo capacity of 15.1 cubic feet is better than its rivals, surprising right?

Some interior features are:

• Simulated leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable front sport seats 
• Memory setting for the driver’s seat and side mirror 
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
•  Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Ambient interior lighting 
• 40/20/40 split/folding rear seats

How intuitive is the infotainment system?

BMW is known for offering a brilliant infotainment system with all its vehicles and it comes in the form of an iDrive system. The 2022 3 Series hybrid will get the same with an 8.8-inch infotainment display screen that produces crisp and bright images. The layout is neat and clutter-free, taking absolutely no time to get used to. All the basics are covered with a handsome list of features that include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, in-built navigation, Bluetooth, and voice controls with natural speech recognition. The system can be controlled via the rotary controller mounted on the center stack that also houses a track-pad on top of it for gesture control support as well.

Some standout infotainment features of the infotainment system are:

• An 8.8-inch touchscreen with iDrive interface
• Satellite radio 
• Two USB ports 
• In-built navigation 
• Bluetooth 
• A premium 10-speaker audio system with 205-watt output 
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration,
• Voice control 

Thankfully, while some of the BMW vehicles are getting that all-new polarizing kidney grille design that is not appreciated by a lot of people, the 3 Series remains unscathed with a rather sleek and appealing exterior design even for the 2022 model year. The G20 3 Series got the all-new CLAR platform from the brand and made the car lighter and sturdier than before with a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. The front end gets a modern and sleek kidney grille with the all-LED headlamp and DRL units putting up an elegant show even during the day. The front bumper houses some stylish design bits to give the car a more aggressive appeal while the strong lines over the hood give the car a commendable character from the front end. The side profile remains clutter-free except for the sculpted lines on the lower end of the doors and the sculpted design on the skirtings. The rear end now looks more premium and stylish than before with the all-new LED taillight units and the trunk lid design. The sedan gets a ground clearance of 5.7 inches that is adequate within the city limits and out on the freeways.

Even though the German sedans make sure to turn heads wherever they go, one simply cannot ignore the Swedish elegance and the design of a Volvo sedan. The S60 Recharge gets a spectacular front-end design with less dramatic styling and design elements as compared to the BMW 3 Series and Thor’s hammer headlight units are a real treat to the eyes. The Sleek and rectangular front grille with the Volvo logo and the front bumper design keep things simple while giving the sedan a head-turning appeal at first glance. The side profile remains simple while the rear-end gets that new C-shaped LED taillight unit that is almost unique in the segment. The Toyota Camry Hybrid gets a look and design that can punch above its weight. The front-end design is quite aggressive and looks sportier when compared side by side with the Swedish and the German rival on the list. The Toyota logo gets a blue treatment owing to the hybrid powertrain of the car and apart from that, the design is identical to the regular Camry.

Some exterior features are:

• All-LED headlights with LED cornering lamps
• Moonroof
• 18-inch aluminum wheels
• Automatic rain-sensing wipers
• Heated ORVMs

German vehicles are known for their superior and premium build quality along with impressive safety features and the BMW 3 Series sedan is just another example. The 2022 3 Series Hybrid sedan has not yet been rated by both the NHTSA and the IIHS, but the 2021 BMW 3 Series was crash-tested by the IIHS and it scored the best possible rating of “Good”. Apart from the crash ratings, the advanced CLAR platform results in a stronger body with high-strength steel construction for added safety. Some of the safety techs include Forward collision mitigation, Blind Spot Assist, Automatic high beams, and lane departure alert with steering assist among other features. 

Some of the standout safety features include:

• Forward Collision Warning
• Blind Spot Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Warning
• Electronic Stability Control
• Hill descent control and Hill Hold
• Active lane assists with Emergency assist
• Rearview camera and Night vision assistant 

BMW 3 Series Plug-in Hybrid vs Volvo S60 Recharge Plug-in hybrid

The Volvo S60 Recharge is a strong competitor to the 3 Series hybrid sedan and will offer you almost everything the 3 Series has to offer, along with a punchier performance and better fuel economy numbers. In terms of interior, the S60 beats the Bimmer with more space at the rear. The Swedish sedan might have a minimalistic interior design, but the premium built quality and better overall safety, even at a slightly higher price tag make the car a more sensible option than the 3 Series.

BMW 3 Series Plug-in Hybrid vs Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry Hybrid is for those who would like to have a trusted and dependable hybrid vehicle without shelling much for a German hybrid. The Camry offers decent performance for the price, yet it blows the 3 Series out of proportion with its overwhelming mpg figures. On the inside, the Camry is quite comfortable and is practically more spacious than both the S60 and the 3 Series as well. Overall, the Camry offers an extreme value for money option when compared to the 3 Series sedan.

The 2022 BMW 3 Series Hybrid will continue to appeal to the buyers since it gets some minor upgrades over the outgoing model. On the plus side, the sedan is all set to get all-LED headlights along with cornering lamps for enhanced visibility. The sedan possesses almost all the traits for successfully qualifying as a practical daily driver such as a handsome list of features, excellent safety department, a comfortable ride quality, and the fuel-efficient factor of a hybrid. Overall, if you’re looking for a safe and appealing German hybrid the 3 Series would be a nice option yet the Volvo S60 brings more performance and fuel economy, practically making it a better option than the former.