The BMW 3 Series is selling pretty good but, facing strong competition from the Mercedes Benz C Class and the new Audi A4 (both being launched after the 3 Series), BMW felt it was time for the car to get a makeover. The 2009 3 Series received fresh front and rear styling and will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.
The redesign features a new bumper, newly contoured hood and revised headlamps, plus a new grille the chrome “eyebrows”. The 3 Series also has redesigned side mirror casings, new talilights and newly shaped trunk lid and bumper.
The interior was pretty much left untouched, except for the revised armrest, new trim combos, a new high-resolution 8.8 inch display along with an updated version of BMW’s iDrive controller and a new optional 80-gigabyte harddisk.
Under the bonnet there are no changes, BMW offering the 3 Series with the same engines as before. The only change in the engine lineup is that the 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine, that develops 265 hp, will now be available in the United States too.
Overall, a pretty cool mid-life upgrade which will keep the BMW 3 Series up and going until the new generation arrives, don’t you think?
A complete photo gallery after the jump.
Photo Gallery: BMW 3 Series Facelift
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After looking through the pictures, I have to say that it looks somewhat uninspired. It reminds me strongly of what other manufacturers have done when they’re designing “fleet” vehicles for use in the various rental car agencies. Although the interior looks nice, I can’t see anything in the exterior that hasn’t been done elsewhere with more style.
To me, BMW has actually decreased the allure of its vehicles with this new design. It lacks the bold flavor of its previous designs. No one buys a BMW to hide in the crowds.