Crossovers and SUVs may have taken over, but the 3 Series still reigns supreme in the premium segment. With the launch of a 50 Years Edition in China, BMW celebrates another milestone. Aside from marking half a century since the E21’s launch in 1975, the Bavarians are happy to report more than 20 million cars from the 3er lineage have been delivered to date. It’s enough to make the 3 Series the best-selling luxury car ever.
The impressive number takes into account all derivatives of the 3 Series. We’re talking about the wagon and the defunct Gran Turismo hatchback. BMW also considered the coupe and convertible before the two-door models moved to the 4 Series lineup in the early 2010s. Around the same time, China got a long-wheelbase 3er sedan it continues to sell. The elongated model is the basis for a fully electric 3 Series. The EV is exclusively available in China as the i3.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the 3 Series has entered the last phase of its seventh generation (G20) since the next-gen car is coming out next year. The G50 will retain the inline-six tradition alive for the M Performance (M350) and M3 models. It’s unclear whether a wagon has been signed off yet, but we know it carries the G51 internal codename. Hopefully, the long-roof model survives another life cycle.
The eighth-generation model is all but confirmed to be the first 3 Series that BMW won’t build in Munich. The historic plant will only assemble EVs from 2027, with reports alleging the gas 3er will be assembled in Dingolfing instead. Production is expected to commence in November 2026, but the M3 (G84) won’t hit the assembly line until July 2028.
Separate from the CLAR-based 3 Series, BMW will make another electric i3 (NA0) but on the Neue Klasse platform instead. A long-wheelbase i3 (NA8) for China is also planned. Chances are the gas car will also be stretched for the local market.
For decades, the 3 Series served as BMW’s entry-level sedan. However, that changed in 2017 when the 1 Series Sedan (F52) came out in China. Two years later, the 2 Series Gran Coupe was released for global markets and eventually replaced the short-lived 1 Series Sedan.
