The next generation BMW 3 Series will debut in the very near future, perhaps as soon as this October at the Paris Motor Show. It's a big deal when a new 3 Series arrives, a vehicle that's long been tipped as the benchmark luxury sport sedan. Heck, it literally invented the segment. It also came in various body styles, such as the coupe (now 4 Series), wagon and, for better or worse, the Gran Turismo. According to Cars Direct, both the wagon and GT will continue to be sold alongside the redesigned sedan when it goes on sale sometime next year.

BMW spokesperson Oleg Satanovsky confirmed the news after Car Direct discovered that order guides made clear the 2019 wagon and GT were beginning production later this month. However, nothing was mentioned about the sedan's status, hence the inquiry to BMW. Here's what's happening: the all-new 3 sedan will begin production in November, starting with the 330i and 330i xDrive variants. There'll also be a new performance model dubbed the M340i and the M340i xDrive, both set to enter production next April. Specs for these models have yet to be released. BMW also confirmed that the 328d turbo diesel wagon will be discontinued when production ends in December. No replacement is planned.

But until production of the new 3 Series sedan kicks off and vehicles arrive in showrooms, the only 2019 BMW 3 Series models you'll see on dealership lots will be the wagon and/or GT. You won't be able to place an order for the redesigned sedan until sometime later this year, most likely in late fall or early winter. We've seen plenty of new 3 Series spy shots over the past several months, including the next M3, which isn't expected to debut until a year or so following the regular lineup. Built on BMW's CLAR modular platform, the new 3 Series is, in many ways, a shortened 5 and 7 Series, though it'll have its own distinct personality, of course. It wouldn't be a proper 3 Series if it didn't.