2023 BMW 3 Series Gets Tweaked Styling, New Curved Screen
What's happening
The BMW 3 Series gets a facelift for 2023.
Why it matters
The 3 Series is BMW's best-selling non-SUV model.
The BMW 3 Series has been around for nearly 50 years, and the seventh-gen G20 model is getting some subtle yet nice updates for the 2023 model year. Focused mostly on styling and technology upgrades, the 2023 3 Series hasn't messed with what works.
BMW resisted giving the updated 3 Series a huge set of kidney grilles like on the M3 or new 7 Series, but the shape and pattern of the grilles have been slightly tweaked. The housing the standard LED headlights are streamlined, ditching the interesting kink in the middle, and the running lights have a new inverted L shape. BMW only released photos of the more aggressive M Sport model, but every version of the 3 Series has a redesigned front bumper with a larger central intake and more vertical, angular elements, and the rear diffusers are new as well. There are also a few new color options and wheel designs, the latter of which are 18 inches as standard, and satin aluminum exterior trim is a new option. The M340i model has some unique styling cues, including a different grille, but no photos have been released yet.
The new curved display is awesome.
On the inside the biggest change is the curved display that we've already seen on models like the i4, which combines the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 14.9-inch touchscreen into one huge unit. The dashboard has slimmer air vents and a reduced number of buttons, as the 2023 3 Series runs BMW's latest iDrive 8 infotainment system that consolidates more controls into the screen, like for the standard three-zone climate control system. The gear shifter is also now a toggle switch instead of a larger shifter, though it doesn't free up that much more space on the center console.
The engine lineup remains the same. The base 330i is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4, while the 330e pairs that motor with a plug-in-hybrid system. For 2022 the M340i gained a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup for its turbo inline-6, which carries over as well. Every model is available with an optional all-wheel-drive system, and each one uses an eight-speed automatic. The recently revealed electric i3 variant will remain just for China.
Pricing for the updated 3 Series has yet to be announced, but don't expect a big jump over the current 330i's $43,195 starting price. The 2023 3 Series will reach US dealers this July.
