There was a time, not very long ago, when a BMW facelift meant a car's indicators would change from orange to clear at the front, and from orange to red at the back. There would be a couple of new wheel options, the inevitable £500 on the pricetag, and that tended to be that.
Spot the difference ... no, really, try...
Some traditions clearly survive in Munich, because the first thing we notice about the revised F30 3 Series is that it now has clear-look indicators at the front, and red ones at the back; the front indicators are also now positioned above the headlights. Other styling differences are so minor that there are probably people working for BMW's design department who won't be able to spot them. No matter, the F30 has always been a handsome enough beast anyway.
And mechanical changes are far more comprehensive - thanks in large part to the need to keep the 3er competitive against the new Mercedes C-Class, the forthcoming Audi A4 and even the challenge posed by that pesky British upstart, the Jaguar XE.
We'll start with the bad news - more badge inflation. Even the 330i is now a four-cylinder, with this replacing the previous 328i. It's powered by a 252hp version of BMW's modular 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which, in lesser 184hp tune, also sits in the 320i.
Badge not necessarily in keeping with cylinder count
Don't get too depressed - there is still a six-cylinder non-M car in the range, with the new 340i. A decade ago that badge would mean it was packing a V8, but in the modern 'power equivalence' scheme of things it's actually packing a slightly revised version of BMW's 3.0 litre turbocharged six, basically the four-pot engine with two extra cylinders, and which now boasts 326hp.
At the bottom of the range things have changed more radically with the arrival of a three-cylinder 318i. Yes, a three-cylinder 3 Series. This is the same engine that we've already seen in the Mini Cooper and - being spun from the same modular architecture - is basically half of the 340i's powerplant, or three quarters of the 330i's. It will put out 136hp and has CO2 emissions of just 122g/km when specced with the optional eight-speed auto. And if, as expected, the new Government brings in diesel-kicking emissions taxation you can safely bet that this will become the company car of choice for a whole generation of middle managers.
Spot the difference, part II...
Not that we're going to be short of diesel versions, of course. BMW's 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine will be offered in multiple forms, so pay attention. The base 316d has a lowly 114hp, the 318d has 150hp, the 320d has 190hp and - to break the pattern - the 320d Efficient Dynamics has 163hp. As before, the ED is a low-emitting special with an official rating of just 99g/km when specified with the eight-speed auto, something the Jaguar XE and Mercedes C-Class can't match yet.
Above these 330d and 335d versions continue, with both sticking with the six-cylinder diesel in single- and twin-turbo forms, and with power outputs of 258hp and 313hp respectively. Confusingly this means BMW will sell two 330s side-by-side, one with 50 per cent more cylinders than the other. So much for German logic. The 335d will only be available with BMW's xDrive four-wheel drive system, and this will be an option on the 330d, 320i and 320d.
There's no word on pricing yet, but on past form we can safely anticipate that they will be going up, with BMW justifying the rise with increased standard equipment, bigger wheels and - of course - those all-important clear indicator lenses.