- M340i and 340d could be discontinued due to stricter EU emission legislations.

- Interior will be updated with high-end features from the all-new iX.

A lot of has happened with BMW’s line-up since late 2018, which is why the 3 Series is more than ready to be revamped and get all the optional bells and whistles that have since become available on some of its newer siblings despite the fact that the model was originally unveiled less than three years ago. Among those options is the iDrive 7.0 that comes in the iX, alongside a curved and much larger display, which obviously includes a touchscreen above the centre console. As a matter of fact, it’s the model’s interior that will get some of the biggest upgrades, from the design of the centre console to new materials, and the much-improved infotainment system, of course.

That said, the exterior will also get its fair share of modifications, with restyled front and rear bumpers and new headlight clusters. Closer inspection of the pre-production prototypes spotted around the company’s Munich development centre reveals that the headlight clusters will get a bit thinner, while the DRLs start from the top instead of the bottom like on the current 3-Series G20. A slightly revamped engine grille is also in the cards, but no huge increase in size in the footsteps of the controversial 4-Series.

On the powertrain side, the 2023 3-Series will get even more serious about electrification, with an i3 all-electric version not being out of the question as well. Most of the huge assortment of inline-three and four petrol and diesel modular engines on the current model will be carried over, with each and every one of them getting a mild-hybrid 48-volt system, while the plug-in hybrid range will be improved with new, more powerful versions. Either way, models like the M340i and M340d aren’t as probable to make a return, as the EU is slowly but surely getting near the Euro 7 emissions standard, which would render them almost unsellable after the year 2025. The two nameplates could stay but powered by electrified four-cylinders instead of straight-sixes, though.