It seems only yesterday the BMW 3 Series was launched in South Africa, but after its local debut back in March 2019, work on the facelifted model has begun.

Picture credit:S. Baldauf/SB-Medien. We have paid for these photos and at the photographer’s request, have watermarked them.

Our spy photographers spotted the 2023 BMW 3 Series LCI doing many laps at the Nurburgring recently. Despite the heavy camouflage, we can see the new front bumper, new headlights and at the rear, there are new taillights. Those exhausts look big, so we suspect this is the M340i derivative.

Visually, we’re not expecting anything too radical as far as design is concerned, but the real changes will be under the skin. If we were betting folk, we’d wager that BMW HQ has a brand-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class in its R&D centre and is thoroughly inspecting it. Given how advanced this C-Class is, we think the Munich-based brand will be interested in how to improve on the already competent 3 Series.

We’ve seen big advances from BMW with its new iDrive 7.0 with its large curved display and it would not surprise us if this made its way into the BMW 3 Series LCI straight from the iX electric family car.

Don’t expect too many radical changes as far as engines and gearboxes, as we suspect the current lineup of petrol and diesel engines will be carried over. European emission laws are getting stricter all the time, so we think the current powertrain range may receive mild hybrid technology to help reduce the CO2 levels and improve the fuel economy.

With Euro 7 standards looming, the future of models like the M340i and the diesel-powered 3 Series could be in doubt. As a reminder, the BMW 3 Series is no longer assembled in SA, with the BMW facility in Rosslyn building the X3 SUV for the global market as well as local consumption.

Further Reading

BMW 3 Series (2019) Launch Review

BMW 3 Series Mzansi Edition