BMW 3-Series Gets A Barely Noticeable Facelift

It’s refreshing to know that the BMW 3-series still matters to the company among all the oddly-shaped, challenging-looking SUVs it’s been launching lately. Now in its seventh generation and celebrating its 50th birthday next year, BMW has just treated it to a facelift – not that you can particularly tell.

In BMW’s defence, one in eight cars the company currently sells is a 3-series, so it’s clearly doing something right already. As a result, there’s no whopping great beaver-tooth grille here, with the car sticking with the same sensibly-sized kidneys it’s had since its launch in 2018. The headlights and bumpers have been given very gentle tweaks, and there are a couple of new colours and wheel designs, and that’s about it for the exterior.

It’s on the inside where more attention has been focused. There’s a new steering wheel, and the ambient interior lighting has been updated. BMW has also expanded the range of materials available: the optional sports seats can be trimmed in something called ‘M Performtex’. It’s not clear what this is, but it does apparently “embody progressive sporting appeal.” Cool.

Various new wood, carbon fibre and aluminium interior trims have been added to the options list, as has ‘CraftedClarity’ glass, which clads certain interior touchpoints if specced. The 3-series also gets the latest version 8.5 iteration of BMW’s software operating system.

Once available with a dizzying array of powertrains, the 3-series range has been slimmed in recent years to comprise just three options. The entry point is the 181bhp 320i, using a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder and driving the rear wheels. Next is the plug-in hybrid 330e, pairing that same engine with an electric motor for a peak of 288bhp. A new high-voltage, 19.5kWh battery bumps quoted electric-only range of up to 63 miles in the saloon and 57 in the Touring.

At the top of the tree is the four-wheel drive M340i. Offering 369bhp, it’ll hit 62mph in 4.4 seconds and crack on to an electronically-governed 155mph. All powertrains are available in both body styles, but don’t go looking for a diesel or a manual gearbox – they’re both long dead in the 3er.

Finally, BMW has given the chassis a light going-over, including fitting stiffer mountings for the dampers. It all apparently contributes to an increase in comfort, refinement and agility.

On sale now, the refreshed 3-series starts at £39,045 for a 320i saloon. The M340i (which is, let’s be honest, the one you want if you’re reading this website) kicks off £57,845 for the saloon, and £59,645 for the Touring, which could well be all the car you’d ever need.