BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo facelift launch on October 19

The 3 Series competes with the likes of the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Jaguar XE.

German luxury car brand BMW will launch the facelift model of its sedan, the 3 Series Gran Turismo, on October 19, 2016. The updated model was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last week. BMW has made minor tweaks – both in the exterior as well as interiors – that give the car a modern appeal. The GT competes against the likes of the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Jaguar XE. Let's see what's new in the facelift.

The car carries the same kidney grille from the earlier model, but it is now flanked by LED headlamps with DRLs. The front bumper has been chiselled a lot, resulting in a fresh front look. The fog lamps get chrome accents and the air dam is now sleeker, giving the front a more sporty look. The older fog lamp units have also been replaced with LED units. The side profile remains identical but, in the rear, the bumper has been reworked and gets a chrome strip. The major difference is in the tail lamps since the horizontal set-up has made way for more rounded LED units. The overall cluster design remains the same.

Interiors have also been slightly tweaked. The instrument panel now gets a wooden trim. This is replicated in the dashboard as well, where it is underlined by a chrome strip. Chrome accents also surround the AC vents, giving the cabin a more premium look. The instrument cluster remains the same and so does the steering wheel. The new model, however, will get the ‘Professional’ navigation system. This is the first time a mid-size model is being made available with the upgraded system. Overall, the cabin remains largely similar to the old one.

In terms of the mechanical aspects, a total of 18 engine, transmission and drive configurations are available for the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo. The line-up consists of three all-new petrol units developing 186.5PS to 329PS and five diesel variants producing 153PS to 316PS. The 3 Series GT will also be available with both rear-wheel drive and BMW xDrive all-wheel drive, with manual or Steptronic automatic transmissions.

Source: CarDekho.com