[Zadjali]

BMW's facelifted 3 Series will premiere in Paris


BMW’s 3 Series gets a diesel powertrain and a number of detailed midlife changes in an attempt to increase its visual boldness, provide it with the latest in entertainment and communication technology, improve its environmental credentials and further enhance its reputation as being the most dynamically adept car in the toughly fought junior-luxury-car class.

The new sedan and wagon models, due to go on sale across North America in October following the 3 Series’ world premiere at the Paris motor show, are distinguished from today’s 3 Series by fresh front and rear styling that picks up on the themes established on BMW’s recently unveiled fifth-generation 7 Series. The common styling is seen as proof that the German carmaker has abandoned plans to give each model a distinctive appearance and is instead getting back to a more stylistically harmonized lineup.

Up front, the facelifted 3 Series receives a series of styling changes that BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk says are aimed at emphasizing its width, including a heavily profiled bumper, newly contoured hood and reworked headlamps with altered graphics.

Farther back are new exterior mirror housings and changes to the design of the doorsills. At the rear, the BMW design team has provided the 3 Series with altered taillights. The fender taillight sections retain the same shape, but are joined by a newly developed section on the trunk lid of the sedan. At the same time, the taillights have been given redesigned lenses and more striking graphics. Further enhancing the widened look at the rear is reworked bumper and rear track that on upper-end models has been extended by nearly an inch.

BMW has also brought detailed improvements to the interior of the 3 Series, including new trim combinations, a revised armrest for the driver’s door that makes the electric window controls more accessible and an updated iDrive controller that gets four selection buttons in a move aimed at reducing the complexity of its operation. The iDrive controller is also linked to a new high-resolution, 8.8-inch color monitor. Among the long list of options is an 80-gigabyte hard disc used to store satellite navigation software and MP3 music files.


Powertrains include two carryovers: the 328i with a 3.0-liter, 230-hp inline-six and the 335i with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, 300-hp inline-six.

New to the lineup, arriving in showrooms in November, is the 335d, with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo, 265-hp, inline-six diesel, which uses a urea-injection system to meet U.S. emissions standards. The diesel will be offered only in the sedan.

Transmissions include a standard six-speed manual and an optional six-speed automatic. The diesel comes with the automatic as its only transmission.


































Source

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...FREE/872531756

[kennyg]

huh - i don't think i like the LEDs

[danniexi]

eh... i'm indifferent. not great, but not bad... rear lights are still... eugh.

[DAISH]

I want to see new Blackline

[adbmw335]

Front bumper looks too busy. I prefer today's style. However the tail light design is very nice, an improvement over the current.

I'm surprised they did not boost HP slightly in both the 328/335. Typically hasn't BMW done this in past models? I think they did that for the E46 in 2002. Also I would have thought there would be slight variants between a Sport and non sport E90.

[billspreston]

Not feeling the new 'warped/melded' front bumper - WTF?

[xsb00st]

Originally Posted by kennyg

huh - i don't think i like the LEDs

Yea, I'm kinda torn on the LEDs too. Maybe if they had a night shot of the LEDs it would help. I'm not feeling the 5er type reflectors at the top of the headlights.

[Blistex]

yeah, way too many lines in the front bumper, hood and side mirrors.

what I like the most are the 80G Hard drive, that's so cool.

[shragon]

cool post! thanks for the info and pics!

imho...

- i don't like the front bumper. it's too busy looking.
- the e92 style grills are nice, but i don't necessary like them better than the unpopular mustache style (i actually like them).
- i like the headlights, but the led's do look a little odd. cool that it's the same shape as the old ones without the amber (us-spec cars to get amber reflector in the bumper).
- not really a fan of the new tails. the notch looks ok, but there's so much red going on that it reminds me of a civic sedan.

[imaznumkay]

EWWWWWW @ front bumper, rear tails

[Dankim10]

I like the front grill, but the rear LED

[jhv]

eww

[yazz]

the light switch looks strange

[NJE93M3]

ehhh...looks the same from the side

ohh what do you know they gave it LED turning signals...i bet no one coulda predicted that one...jeez who are these designers at BMW?? pulled the same thing with the old E46 coupes in 05 when they gave it a facelift.

Still too boxy for my taste

[BMW!]

Holy Shit! Looks MUCH better than the current e90, you e90ers got a lot of work to catch up hehe.

[pittyinSC]

I don't wanna wait to find out, but like one has stated, the headlights are the
same shape and I want them in on my M-tech front

[Kev]

Beauty is in the eye of beholder. I'm definitely not feeling the rear end, front end is ok.

[ska///235i]

old face look more aggressive...I guess they're trying to make the 3 look more luxurious since the 1 series are suppose to be the new 3s

[Papa13]

ehhh

Thats all I can say

[uabimmer]

dont like the front bumper... maybe a m-tech will solve the issue as mentioned above "D

[Bimmerforlife]

Better Resolution and Different Photos are located here, maybe someone should put these in the gallery in case they go away.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/bmw-3-series.html

[Bimmerforlife]

The front looks so much better, like this pic here



Look at the full screen Navi, never seen it like that before