The biggest update coming this year with the BMW 3 Series facelift is the introduction of BMW 3 Series plug-in hybrids. For the U.S. market, BMW will offer the 328e model which starts production in November 2015.

The 2016 BMW 328e plug-in hybrid uses a four-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor mounted on the rear axle providing a system output of 245 hp and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque.

BMW 328e comes with a combined fuel consumption of 2.1 liters per 100 kilometers, or 112 mpg.

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The plug-in hybrid can run solely on electric power up to 22 miles (35 km) with a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). The car utilizes Sport, Comfort, and EcoPro settings for the drivetrain as well as Max Electric and Save Battery settings for the hybrid aspects of the drivetrain.

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The new 3 series plug-in hybrid will take advantage of the ‘situational awareness’ that the X5 eDrive has with the addition of new features including Real Time Traffic Information.

First units are expected to arrive at U.S. dealerships in early 2016.

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