BMW 3 Series Touring revealed

After a few recent spy sightings it was only a matter of time before BMW revealed a full suite of images of its F31 3 Series Touring. And here they are. With our known love of Euro wagons in mind, we’ll declare right from the start that we think the F31 is a winner.

As with the F30 saloon, the F31 is available in three trim lines: Modern, Luxury and Sport. A sportier M Sport package will also be offered. At initial launch 135kW four cylinder 320d, 190kW six-cylinder 330d and 180kW four-cylinder 328i versions of the 3 Series Touring will be sold. As is the norm for BMW these days all are turbocharged, or TwinPower Turbos to use BMW-speak.

The F31 is 97mm longer than the E91 model it replaces. Its wheelbase has been increased by 50mm and BMW claim the driving dynamics have been improved as well. Rear luggage space is up by 35 litres to a new total of 495 litres, 1500 litres with the seats down.

This new wagon from BMW looks good, has a decent range of engines on offer and will no doubt be at the top of its class for driving and cabin refinement. Really, you have to ask, how did BMW make the 3 Series look so good, while at the same time making the 1 Series so bad?

UPDATE: BMW Australia has confirmed with us that they are planning to launch the 3 Series Touring in the first quarter of 2013. Pricing and local specs to follow closer to launch.

The new BMW 3 Series Touring.

Dynamic flair and practicality wrapped in a sporty and elegant design.

• Cutting-edge Touring concept combines dynamic performance, elegance and versatility in a perfectly proportioned overall package.
  
• More space for passengers and luggage: 495 litres of stowage room sets the benchmark in this segment.
  
• 40:20:40 folding rear seat bench (standard), rear window opens separately from automatic tailgate (standard), separate partition net and luggage compartment cover. The latter can also be stored in the underfloor compartment.
  
• Modern Line, Luxury Line, Sport Line and M Sport package plus an extensive selection of assistance systems, including full-colour Head-Up Display.
  
• Powerful and efficient engines with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, Auto Start-Stop function and ECO PRO mode, eight-speed automatic gearbox available for all models.
  
• Sporty suspension with enhanced ride comfort, Electric Power Steering, M Sport options.

The new edition of the BMW 3 Series Touring makes its mark in the premium sports estate segment with its hallmark BMW dynamic prowess, enhanced practicality and versatility, and a range of standard equipment features assembled to meet the challenges of everyday life. The new car’s larger interior is extremely versatile and designed to adapt to everything its customers’ modern, active lifestyles can throw at it. In this role, the new BMW 3 Series Touring convinces equally as both a sporty, elegant and dynamic way to eat up the miles and a comfortable and spacious vehicle for sports and leisure pursuits.

Its harmonious proportions ensure the new BMW 3 Series Touring appears from every angle as if cut from a single mould and proves that impressive practicality and dynamic design need not be mutually exclusive. The sweeping silhouette with smoothly sloping roofline, side windows extending well back to the rear and a powerful rear end all combine to create a distinctive Touring character and highlight the huge potential of the new BMW 3 Series variant at first glance.

Leading the way: more space for luggage and clever details.

With 97 millimetres added to the car’s overall length and 50 millimetres to its wheelbase, the new BMW 3 Series Touring offers extra room for passengers and luggage alike. Plus, this space can be adapted for a variety of uses, allowing the new car to turn its hand to a range of activities. A 35-litre increase in capacity (to 495 litres) means the load compartment can offer more space than any of the Touring’s rivals. Standard equipment designed to meet the challenges of everyday life, such as the 40:20:40 split/folding rear seat bench, the automatic tailgate with separate rear window opening, the stainless steel protective strip on the comfortably low loading sill (62 centimetres from the ground), the separate partition net and a luggage compartment cover that stows away neatly into an underfloor compartment highlight the ability of the new BMW 3 Series Touring to adapt as required to the situation at hand.

Made-to-measure options like the adaptive attachment system with variable plug-in elements for the load compartment floor, the hands-free tailgate opening function as part of the Comfort Access option, and the electrically pivoting trailer coupling further enhance long-distance comfort and make it even easier to transport a variety of gear.

Alongside its extra practicality and versatility, the new BMW 3 Series Touring also benefits from enhanced ride comfort, the availability of the new Sport Line, Luxury Line and Modern Line equipment packages, and the materials and colour concept familiar from the recently introduced 3 Series Sedan.

An optional M Sport package will also be available from launch.

The range kicks off with the BMW 328i, 330d and 320d Touring.

Agility and dynamic performance are among the other qualities which set the new BMW 3 Series Touring apart. Customers can choose from three refined, economical and punchy engines at launch, all of which boast BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. Alongside the new four-cylinder petrol unit developing 180 kW/245 hp and revised 2-litre diesel with 135 kW/184 hp, the line-up also includes an optimised six-cylinder diesel producing 190 kW/ 258 hp that combines sporty dynamics with significantly reduced fuel consumption and emissions. All engines fulfil the stipulations of the EU5 exhaust standard, while the 320d diesel unit can be further optimised to meet EU6 specification, if desired. The Driving Experience Control switch with ECO PRO mode, meanwhile, opens up extra fuel-saving potential for all engine variants.

A sporty six-speed manual gearbox sends power to the rear wheels in the four-cylinder models. And BMW also offers an innovative eight-speed automatic transmission – fitted as standard in the six-cylinder diesel model – as an option. A further option is the eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifts on the steering wheel. Both transmission variants link up with the fuel consumption-reducing Auto Start-Stop function.

Advanced suspension technology, featuring a large number of light-alloy components and new tuning, the torque steer-free Electric Power Steering, an up to 40-kilogram lighter overall weight and finely-balanced axle load distribution set the seal on the car’s dynamic concept. State-of-the-art electronic control systems enhance the dynamic potential of the new BMW 3 Series Touring and help to ensure it displays the perfect combination of sporting prowess and ride comfort. The new Touring can be ordered with M Sport suspension or the Adaptive M Sport suspension as an option.

BMW EfficientDynamics.

In addition to its enviable practicality and sporting dynamics, the outstanding fuel economy of the new BMW 3 Series Touring helps maximise driving pleasure. The key here is the BMW EfficientDynamics development strategy, whose influence can be seen in virtually every area of the new model. In addition to the ultra-frugal petrol and diesel engines, the intelligent lightweight construction concept, optimised aerodynamics and other measures including the Auto Start-Stop function, Brake Energy Regeneration, Optimum Shift Indicator and on-demand operation of ancillary components, ensure that the powerful BMW 3 Series Touring also boasts impressively low fuel consumption and emissions. The Driving Experience Control switch with ECO PRO mode offers further potential for fuel saving.

BMW ConnectedDrive.

An extensive selection of driver assistance systems and mobility solutions, offered as standard or as options under the BMW ConnectedDrive programme, allows the new BMW 3 Series Touring to set the benchmark in its segment in terms of safety, convenience and infotainment. One highlight of the range is the latest-generation full-colour Head-Up Display, which projects key information onto the windscreen in sharp resolution. Included alongside an array of other comfort and safety-enhancing assistance systems is extremely effective interface technology that allows extensive use of external mobile phones and numerous Bluetooth office functions for internet-based services.

The Apps option and the free BMW Connected app provide a gateway to services such as social networks, web radio and the iPhone calendar function. Finally, information and office services along with travel and leisure planners further enhance the individual convenience and comfort of travelling in the new BMW 3 Series Touring.

Download

• The new BMW 3 Series Touring—detailed press release (770kb PDF)