Facelifted BMW 3 Series can now be had with the firm's Curved Display

BMW has facelifted its 3 Series compact executive sedan and the 3 Series Touring, all ready to renew the fight against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, and the Lexus IS.

Up front, this latest facelift to the BMW 3 Series sees the car losing its distinctive kink in its head lights, which have also been slimmed down just ever so slightly. There are however, new blue-coloured elements within the head light cluster which look rather yummy.

And as with most facelifts from BMW, the kidney grille on the 3 Series has also been updated, so they now sport new double bars for a more powerful look.

The car's front and rear aprons have also been altered into more aggressive and geometric items, mirroring those found on the X3 compact SUV. At the rear, this new apron also hugs new exhaust finishers, which come either in 90mm or 100mm in diameter, depending on the engine variant.

And for those that like the blacked-out look on their cars, there's good news: The 3 Series is now going to be offered as standard with the M High-gloss Shadowline trim, which finishes the window surrounds in well, high-gloss black. Customers may opt for these to be finished in chrome if they so desire.

Opt for your BMW 3 Series with the M Sport package and you'll get your BMW kidney grille with the mesh design, as well as 18-inch light-alloy wheels alongside trapezoidal tailpipes.

And if there's a need for more visual aggression still, BMW is also offering the 3 Series with an M Sport package Pro, which will deck your car out in the M High-gloss Shadowline trim, M lights Shadowline and an M Sport braking system with red calipers.

Step into the 3 Series however, and the changes are more significant still. The car now sports BMWs Curved Display, which in here merges a 12.3-inch information display behind the steering wheel and a control display with a screen diagonal of 14.9 inches into one fully digital and high-resolution unit, now operating BMW's Operating System 8.

And there's also a new gear selector, which now takes the form of a toggle switch rather than a lever.

BMW will offer the new 3 Series with a total of three different petrol-powered four-cylinder engines, with outputs ranging from 154bhp to 242bhp. The latter, badged as a 330i, now sports a new exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head and an upgraded turbocharger.

A fourth 369bhp six-cylinder petrol-powered option will also be available, equipped with BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Two plug-in hybrid powertrains, with total system outputs of 201bhp and 288bhp will also be offered for both the sedan and the touring body.

All the engines for the new BMW 3 Series link up with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission as standard, with gearshift paddles on the steering wheel fitted also as standard.