BMW 3-series GT facelift revealed

Following last year’s mid-life updates for the 3-series sedan and touring models, BMW has given its 3-series Gran Turismo a facelift for 2016.

Minimal styling changes have been made to the 3-series GT facelift with visual differences over the current model including a lightly revised air-duct design up front, standard-fit LED headlamps with newly designed lens graphics, and an altered valence panel on the lower edge of the rear bumper. BMW will offer the new model in three different trim levels–Sport Line, Luxury Line and M-Sport – the latter featuring individual styling touches. It also comes with the choice of two new exterior colours as well as three new wheel designs and what BMW describes as a “wider array of upholstery variants”.

Inside, the car gets new trim applications along with lightly altered switchgear, standard Bluetooth smartphone connectivity as well as the latest version of BMW’s navigation system.

At 4,825mm in length, the facelifted 3-series GT continues to be 195mm longer than the 3-series sedan and touring – mainly thanks to its unique 2,920mm wheelbase, which is 110mm longer. With 520litres of boot space, the new 3-series GT offers more storage capacity than the 3-series sedan and touring.

The facelifted 3-series GT gets 18 different engine, gearbox and drive configurations. The engine line-up comprises a number of new or upgraded engines, including the latest evolution of BMW’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, known internally as the B48, in the 183.51hp 320i and 251.43hp 330i guises. It also get’s the carmaker’s new turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, the B48, which produces 325.45hp in new 340i GT.

On the diesel front, a 223.05hp twin turbocharged version of BMW’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder B47 engine powers the new-to-the-range 325d GT. It joins four other diesel models in the line-up, including the four-cylinder 150.05hp 318d, 189.59hp 320d, and the six-cylinder 257.52hp 330d and 313.28hp 335d GT.

The 320i, 318d and 320d GT come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, but they can be specified with the eight-speed torque converter automatic, which is claimed to provide a three percent drop in fuel consumption, that comes as standard on all other models in the line-up.

The 335d GT xDrive comes exclusively with four-wheel drive, while all the other models run standard rear-wheel drive. Customers can order all the petrol-powered 3-series GT models as well as the 320d and 330d GT with optional xDrive four-wheel drive.

The 3-series GT’s mid-life facelift comes close to two years ahead of the next-generation GT's arrival, which is expected to launch in international markets in 2018.