New car news

18 January 2010 - 13:00

Facelifted 3-Series

Here’s one for facelift fetishists – the revamped 3-Series coupe and convertible. Get a good squint going, perhaps attach a monocle, and you’ll notice the changes.
 
Or if you can’t be bothered, allow us to summarise. The kidney grilles are slightly different. The lights now have ‘white LED corona rings and illuminated eyebrows’, or ‘severe eye infection’ as your optician would call it. And below all that there’s a gobbier air intake that makes the car look wider and lower so more people will get out of your way. Or get scooped up. The sideskirts have a new twist and the back bumper is also new.
 
Underneath all that, BMW’s efficiency pixies have been working hard. The grunty 335i now emits 10 per cent less CO2 and consumes 8 per cent less petrol.  And the 320d has now has more oomph – 0-100km/h now takes 7.5 seconds rather than 7.9.