BMW's 3 Series lineup will see some changes in 2016 that could give us a glimpse of what's to come with powertrain development from the luxury automaker.

BMW has added a new model for the 2016 model year. The 340i replaces the outgoing 335i with a vehicle that's powered by a new inline-6 cylinder. Later in the year, we should expect a plug-in hybrid model in the lineup. These models will add to the existing 320i and 328i, which have been the more likely choices by sales fleets.

The 340i brings the new B58 engine, a TwinPower turbocharged 3.0L inline-6 that makes 320 hp and 330 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is also found in the 2016 BMW 740i.

The turbocharging makes the 2016 340i more fun to drive, and the car provides easy power delivery. We tested a manual transmission model that's EPA-rated to provide 29 mpg on the highway. Adding an automatic transmission boosts highway fuel economy to 33 mpg. The engine was named to Wards top 10 engine list of 2016.

The 340i xDrive provides a sportier driving experience than the 320i base model, which we tested earlier this year. We liked the 2015 320i's "superb chassis that is very agile and precise on windy, tight roads." The 340i provides equally impressive handling with enough power to get out of sticky situations such as a truck blindly reversing out of a driveway on a two-lane roadway.

The 340i arrives with roughly the same dimensions as the vehicle it's replacing. Overall length is 182.5 inches, and the wheelbase is 110.6 inches.

The 2016 340i xDrive starts at $47,800. The model we tested would retail for $60,420. Our model added a rear-view camera, safety technologies such as blind-spot detection, adaptive LED headlights, and the track handling package.