2009 BMW 3er: putting meat on the bones

The refreshed 2009 BMW 3-Series family of sedans, coupes and station wagons has received a rather extensive facelift, getting sportier, more muscular looks. Unfortunately, the choice of engines remains the same, except that Americans will finally receive the 335d version of the car equipped with a 265 hp, 425 lb-ft green twinturbo diesel engine featuring the AdBlue-based BluePerformance system similar to Mercedes' BlueTEC.

As you can see on the photos, the restyled 2009 BMW 3-Series now sports a much more energetic-looking front bumper one would rather expect to see coming with the M3 model. The same goes with sportier hood and reworked head lamps. Rear view mirrors have also received their share of changes, as well as the tail lights and the rear bumper.

The car's interior also gets more upscale with the new 8.8-inch color monitor and the iDrive system that now sports four more selection buttons making it easier to use. The list of options now includes an advanced multimedia system with an optional 80GB HDD (I wonder when they will start equipping the cars with SSD-based GPS and entertainment systems: they are faster and more reliable, and they are not that expensive for a car, which is sold for a hefty premium).

The 2009 BMW 3-Series will be officially presented at the Paris Motor Show this September. No info on pricing yet.