It's not all M3 GTS Coupés in Bavaria, you know. BMW might enjoy crafting sensational track-biased limited editions of the 3 Series for us all to wet ourselves about, but it's the bread and butter stuff that brings in the Bunsen. And that's why soon you'll be able to buy a 3 Series Touring powered by a 116bhp diesel engine. Just don't fill that boot and you'll be ok.

The 3 Series range has been facelifted for 2010. In a nutshell, the two-door versions get cosmetic changes and the entire range benefits from engine tweaks that make the 3 Series perform better and use less fuel. Yet cost more to buy.

Starting with the visual stuff, the Coupé and Convertible get a new front light arrangement, and the grille and bumper are tweaked. There are some new leather and trim options on the list too. All fairly typical stuff.

The 320d EfficientDynamics goes on sale in March too and the standard 320d gets a 7bhp hike and more torque - to 181bhp and 280lb.ft - thus producing a 0-62mph reduction, down to 7.5 seconds. Its 125g/km means you'll pay no 'showroom tax' for the first year, then just £90 thereafter. Quite compelling, you'll agree.

The six-cylinder 325d gets similarly enticing changes, with a slight power hike and slightly lower emissions, and cars with a 335i badge on their rump will be, from March, powered by the new turbocharged engine launched in the 535i GT, which has the same 302bhp but is eight percent better on fuel and ten percent on the environment.

It'll set you back £27,485 for a 320i Coupé in SE spec - a £1,180 increase - and £32,095 for the drop-top version of the same. That increase is just on the other side of a grand. The M3 Coupé will command nearly £2k more too, but what's a couple of grand in £50,000, right?

We'll get our first glimpse of the updated 3 Series range at March's Geneva Motor Show.

Mark Nichol - 18 Jan 2010