BMW updates 3 Series and 3 Series Touring

BMW has given its 3 Series and 3 Series Touring models a revised exterior design and more standard equipment as part of a mid-life refresh.

The design of the 3 Series has been sharpened up in the update, bringing slimmer headlights – which have LED technology as standard – alongside a redesigned front kidney grille. The lights also feature an ‘inverted L’ shape daytime running light to give the 3 Series a more distinctive appearance.

The rear of the car has been updated thanks to a new apron design, too, while all cars now benefit from standard black gloss finishing trim pieces and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The M Sport package available with the 3 Series has also been upgraded, bringing a honeycomb pattern for the grille and 18-inch alloy wheels. Trapezoidal exhaust pipes come as part of the M Sport pack, too.

There has been a big change in the cabin, too. All cars now get BMW’s Curved Display – which has also seen use in cars like the iX and i4 – which combines a 12.3-inch display behind the wheel with a 14.9-inch infotainment unit to appear like one continuous screen. It uses BMW’s latest Operating System 8, too.

By using this widescreen setup, BMW has removed many of the physical buttons from the cabin, with the driver able to access a variety of functions through touch and voice control instead.

All cars now get three-zone climate control as standard, as well as an automatically dimming rear-view mirror, an extended storage pack and front and rear parking sensors.

A wide variety of engines remain available for the 3 Series, going from the 2.0-litre powered 318i with 154bhp, right the way up to the powerful M340i that brings 369bhp and the option of four-wheel-drive. All cars get an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard, too.

The new BMW 3 Series is available to order now, with prices starting from £36,670.