As the latest BMW 3-Series variant, the 330e plug-in hybrid sedan is a fast-sprinting rear wheel drive car. With a 0 to 60 mph time of approximately 6 seconds, lightning quick acceleration was abundantly evident during a week-long test drive. But that’s only part of this car’s prowess. The 330e can be driven in electric-only mode for approximately 14 miles (up to 75 mph), and that’s a nice perk for drivers with a short work commute. Like its 3-Series stable mates, the 330e’s interior is rich in its lushness and technology trimmings. (Standard equipment includes 10-way power front sport seats, and rain-sensing windshield wipers with adjustable speed and automatic headlight control.)

Power is supplied by a 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine providing 180 horsepower and 215 pounds-feet of torque. A 7.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack supplies power to an electric motor that develops 87 horsepower and 184 pounds-feet of peak torque. (Total system output is 248 horsepower and 310 pounds-feet of peak torque.) Electric boost is always enabled, meaning the 4-cylinder engine can get a brief boost, depending on accelerator position, of up to 184 pounds-feet of torque. Test driven 330e with 8-speed automatic transmission carries a suggested MSRP of $43,700 and collects combined city/highway mpg of 31 (with gas engine only) or 72 combined city/highway mpg equivalent.