The BMW 3 Series is arguably the most important for the BMW brand, so it’s no surprise that we flew to Paris to cover the world unveil of the new G20 generation. It’s also not a coincidence that our coverage has been more extensive and comprehensive than ever. We planned to cover the car from all angles and bring you on this journey with us, either through articles on here or through our social media channels.

With that being said, we’ve decided to give you another look at the G20 3 Series. You can, of course, catch our previous coverage, which contains an impressive photo gallery and lots of videos.

When the first 3 Series was launched in 1975, it revolutionised the segment and became BMW’s most successful model. The sedan is the core of the 3 Series range – BMW says over 15 million units have been sold worldwide – and for everyone at the company, its 7 years development cycle is equally challenging and demanding.

Now, with revised styling, enhanced driving dynamics, high fuel efficiency and lots of gadgetry, the G20 aims to retake or keep the crown in this segment – depends who you ask.

Six engines will be available from launch, globally, starting with a 320i with a turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine developing 184 hp. The same engine gets tweaked up to 258hp for the 330i. The entry level diesel is the 318d, which has 150 hp and emissions as low as 108g/km with the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox fitted. One of the best sellers in Europe, the 320d makes 190hp version of the same four-cylinder engine, with emissions starting from 110g/km with the automatic gearbox. The range-topping diesel is, for now, the 330d six-cylinder diesel, with 265hp.

As for the BMW 330i, it will get a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That will also be paired with an eight-speed automatic as-standard but will come in either rear or all-wheel drive.

Even though not present in Paris, the top 3 Series model is the M340i, the first-ever M Performance variant of the 3 Series. It looks far more aggressive than the standard car and it should be quite a lot faster. Under its hood lies a 3.0 liter turbocharged I6 engine that makes 382 hp (374 hp in Europe) and 369 lb-ft of torque. That makes it equally as powerful as the new Z4 and makes both of those cars the most powerful non-M, six-cylinder BMWs. When paired with its as-standard eight-speed automatic and optional xDrive all-wheel drive (rear-wheel drive is standard), the M340i can hit 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, barely any slower than the F80 BMW M3.

The interior is the bigger story, in our opinion – it is designed to accentuate the spaciousness of the cabin and the driver-focused cockpit. The instrument panel follows the same design path as the new X5, Z4 or 8 Series, with simples lines, more tech and higher quality materials, leather and trim.

Of course, there is much more to the 3 Series story, but more on that in our future articles and test drive. For now, we hope you’ll enjoy these new photos.