BMW 3 Series facelift revealed

Hot on the heels of the all new 7-series and following the initial leaked brochure scans, we can now bring you the 2009 BMW 3-Series in full with 43 high resolution photos. The Paris Motor Show which commences this September will have the honour of housing its world debut.

Despite the excellent stance of the 3-series, BMW clearly felt it necessary to give the styling a heavy makeover. The front fascia has received a heavily profiled bumper, newly contoured hood and reworked headlamps with altered graphics, all designed to emphasize the width of the model. As we move along the side of the vehicle we see the redesigned side mirror casings – although contrary to what we saw on production prototypes spied in the past, they do not feature the indicator lights.

Moving on to the rear of the vehicle reveals the modified taillights, the fender section of the taillight has been left untouched but the section built into the trunk lid has been redesigned to give it a more striking look. Additionally the rear has received a redesigned bumper and rear track which further emphasize the model’s width.

Not to be left out, the interior also receives a number of minor modifications and enhancements, most striking being the larger 8.8 inch color monitor with four selection buttons, it is aimed at making the difficult-to-use iDrive system easier to use. Other features include a modified arm rest making the electric window buttons easier to access and a new optional 80-gigabyte harddisk.

The engine line-up has been left untouched, but the 3.0-liter twin-turbo, 265-hp, inline-six diesel powered 335d will finally reach American shores.