When it comes to compact sports sedans, BMW’s 3 Series is a perennial favorite for its combination of prestige and performance. Already it’s available with gas, diesel and hybrid power trains, but now BMW is adding a plug-in hybrid version to the mix that will be available in spring 2016.

Making its North American debut during the L.A. Auto Show this week, the 330e uses a twin turbocharged 4-cylinder gas engine paired with an 88-horsepower electric motor and 7.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, allowing it to achieve about 135 mpg and travel up to 373 miles, 25 miles of which can be in all-electric mode.

Like its gas, diesel and hybrid versions, the 330e is rear-wheel drive. While it’s a plug-in hybrid, BMW says it accelerates like a large-capacity combustion engine through the use of a permanent electric boost function that supplements the engine’s power with an additional 74 pound-feet of torque.

Engaging a feature called ConnectedDrive, the 330e works with the car’s navigation system to optimize use of its electric power. Assessing the programmed route, it determines if the car is more optimally driven as a hybrid or as a pure electric. It will automatically select electric mode for urban driving as well as for uphill sections of a route so it can fully recuperate the energy it used when traveling back down hill.

Drivers otherwise have the choice of three driving modes. The default setting is Auto eDrive, which automatically optimizes the car’s use of the combustion engine in combination with the electric motor. It restricts the car’s all-electric speed to 50 mph to prolong battery life and electric range.

In Max eDrive, the car will only use electric power; its top speed is 75 mph, and its range is 25 miles. In situations where more speed or range may be necessary, Max eDrive can be overridden simply by pressing the accelerator all the way to the floor, engaging the combustion engine as well.

Save Battery mode stops the car from using electric power until it is deliberately engaged.

Fully recharging the battery with a typical 110-volt wall outlet takes three hours and 15 minutes.

BMW has yet to announced pricing, but its ActiveHybrid 3 starts at $50,150.

Contact the writer: scarpenter@ocregister.com