No great surprises here. Ever willing to demonstrate progress, BMW announced a 325i Coupe that's bigger, faster, better looking, more economical and more comfortable than its predecessor. It has more safety features, more ingenious creature comforts and comes as standard with a greener environmental conscience. But then, you knew that already before it ever turned a wheel.

Unlike previous generation 3 Series Coupes, this time round BMW has given the car some serious clout, not diluting its appeal with flyweight engines and stripped-out entry level models. This 325i Coupe is the second rung on the ladder and you'll need at least £28,755 to become a member of the club. That's £2,700 more than the entry-level 320i Coupe.

This buys you a 2.5-litre petrol engine that uses the lightweight magnesium-aluminium composite cylinder block that debuted on the 630i Coupe. It can punt this Coupe to 60mph in 6.6 seconds and on to the 155mph limiter. Fuel economy is rated at 39.8mpg, helped by BMW's patented Valvetronic technology and the EfficientDynamics package which includes Brake Energy Regeneration technology. With 218bhp on tap, there's plenty of punch but the 250Nm of torque is also spread across a usefully broad range, giving this car real-world capability.

Slotting into the range at around £3,000 lower than its big brother, the 272bhp 330i Coupe, the 325i looks like a decent piece of business, especially as the residual values look very firm indeed. While the Audi TT is a more extreme piece of penmanship, the lines of the 3 Series Coupe look set to wear very well. Why? For a start, it's very good-looking in its own right. Contemporary BMW design has been a strangely hit and miss affair but the bullseye has been firmly hit in this instance. Taut, sleek, muscular and boasting not a single shared body panel with the 3 Series saloon, the latest Coupe will earn whole legions of buyers before they ever clap eyes on one in the metal. The silhouette is lower and more elongated, giving it an elegance that's singularly lacking in the buttoned-down saloon.

"The 325i Coupe is a car without a significant Achilles heel"

The kidney grilles at the front have been restyled to give a simpler, cleaner look while the headlamps have a more piercing stare. Move round to the rear and you'll pick out the broad tail light clusters that incorporate horizontal LED rods. On the way, you'll spot the sculpted flanks and should you tap the front wings, you'll find that instead of the high-pitched ring of steel, you'll hear the duller thud of plastic. In a bid to cleave weight from the 3 Series Coupe, BMW have used plastic as well as the more traditional method of 'tailored blanks' - panels that are thick where structural rigidity is needed and thin where it's not.

The 325i Coupe is fitted as standard with a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox but there's also a very decent automatic option that halves the shift times of a conventional auto thanks to a smart interface between software and torque converter. There is even a pair of paddle shifts behind the wheel for when the driver wants to have some fun. That three letter word figures large in the 3 Series vocabulary. One look at the aluminium suspension parts and the direct rack and pinion steering shows that BMW are serious about upholding their reputation for producing the Ultimate Driving Machine. Even the run flat tyres that BMW insists upon are now better tuned with the stiffness of the suspension to give a better ride quality than earlier iterations.

In common with all BMW models, the 325i Coupe benefits from a near-perfect 50:50 front to rear weight distribution and rear-wheel drive for the optimum in driving dynamics. A double-joint tie bar front axle with spring struts made almost entirely from aluminium and a five-link rear axle work in combination with a rigid body structure to provide very high levels of stability and comfort. It also comes as standard with Dynamic Stability Control+, BMW's latest traction control system. With DSC+, the car's already lofty levels of traction and stability are afforded an extra electronic safety net. That's on top of brake pads that are dried in wet weather conditions and brakes that are applied harder when any possible brake fade is detected.

To enhance the chassis and suspension set up, the 325i Coupe also comes with a rack and pinion steering system as standard. Customers can also opt for BMW's Active Steering system that varies the steering ratio as a proportion of road speed. The Active Steering system additionally links into the DSC+ system, adding small amounts of steering correction without driver input when oversteer is detected. Most drivers prefer the feel of the standard set up. All of the passive safety systems of the latest 3 Series Coupe are controlled by a restraint and support system. The six standard airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners and belt force limiters are all activated by the type and severity of a collision. Recognising that the majority of accidents occur in the dark, the 325i is supplied with xenon headlights as standard.

With a fixed centre console dividing the rear seats, the 3 Series Coupe is a proper four seater with room in the back for two adults. The 440-litre boot and folding rear seats add a welcome dose of practicality but this is, above all, a coupe model - just one that's a good deal more usable than many of its rivals. It's certainly got more than enough about it to see off cars like the Mercedes CLK and it offers an extra dimension that ostensibly sportier cars like the Nissan 350Z and the Audi TT just can't match. As with any 3 Series Coupe, this predictable level of excellence should never be taken entirely for granted.