The BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo has been updated for 2016 following last year’s mid-life facelift for the 3 Series saloon and Touring models.
Set for delivery in September, the lightly reworked five-door liftback variant of BMW’s best selling model will be priced from £30,405 in 320i Gran Turismo guise in the UK – a moderate £345 increase over the existing 320i Gran Turismo originally launched in 2013. This mid-life facelift comes close to two years ahead of the next-generation GT's arrival, which will arrive some time in 2018.
Predictably, the styling changes made to the facelifted BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo are slight. Visual differences over today’s three year old model include a lightly revised air duct design up front, standard fit LED headlamps with newly design lens graphics and an altered valence panel on the lower edge of the rear bumper.
At 4825mm in length, the facelifted 3 Series Gran Turismo continues to be 195mm longer than the 3 Series saloon and Touring – some 110mm of which is concentrated within its unique wheelbase, which stretches to 2920mm.
Following the lead of its recently facelifted 3 Series siblings, the new model will be offered in three different trim livels: 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, BMW has moved to answer criticism of below par quality with new trim applications together with lightly altered switchgear, standard Bluetooth smartphone connectivity as well as the latest version of its navigation system. At 520 litres, nominal boot capacity is 40 litres above that of the 3 Series saloon and 25 litres more than that offered by the 3 Series Touring.
The facelifted 3 Series GT will be produced with 18 different engine, gearbox and drive configurations.
As with the facelifted 3 Series saloon and Touring launched in the UK last year, the updated model receives a number of new or upgraded engines, including the latest evolution of the German car maker’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, the B48 as it is known internally. It develops 181bhp in the facelifted 320i Gran Turismo and 248bhp in the 330i Gran Turismo.
