Facelifted 2023 BMW 3 Series Now Available In PH, Starts At P3.790M

SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp., the official distributor of BMW in the Philippines, is going on a product offensive this 2023. With the launch of the iX3 already accomplished, the German luxury automaker’s local distributor is now giving its pioneering luxury sports sedan an update. The facelifted 2023 BMW 3 Series has finally made its way into the Philippines, a year after its global launch and a few months after its ASEAN debut in Singapore with the M3 Touring.

For now, the facelifted 2023 BMW 3 Series is currently available only as a sedan called the 318i Sport. For this iteration, though, the 318i now comes as standard with the M Sport package, which means that the updated exterior with its new grille, redesigned front and rear bumpers, and slimmer LED headlights are complemented by a host of M design features, such as the 18-inch M light alloy wheels, M gloss black trims, and the M aerodynamics package.

Near the end of 2022, SMC ACDC President Spencer Yu confirmed the arrival of the 3 Series Touring. This will mark the first time in more than a decade that a wagon BMW will be offered in our market and it’s something that’s worth waiting for if you want a luxury wagon.

Just like the exterior, the interior of the 2023 BMW 3 Series is also extensively updated. The dash design has been revised in order to accommodate the new iDrive 8 curved display that first appeared in the iX. iDrive 8 consists of a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch main infotainment screen. Part of the update is the redesigned gear selector, which is now a toggle switch instead of an electronic gear lever. Other interior design flourishes include the usual ambient LED lighting, aluminum silver trims, Sensatec leather upholstery, just to name a few.

As this is a 318i, it comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 156 hp and 250 Nm of torque. In typical BMW fashion, this is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic. In this configuration, the 318i can sprint from 0-100 kph in a brisk 8.4 seconds.

In terms of safety and driver-assistance tech, the 2023 BMW 3 Series gets the automated Parking Assistant with the Reversing Assist Camera. In addition, the Reversing Assistant carries out the necessary steering inputs to maneuver the car backwards for distances of up to 50 meters along the same line it took when moving forward, adding a further layer of assistance when moving out of tight parking spots. Unfortunately, features such as automatic emergency braking or blind spot warning are still absent in the new 3 Series.

The 2023 BMW 3 Series is now available at all dealers nationwide for a price tag of P3,790,000.