Meet the sixth generation of BMW's famous 3 Series Touring, the latest iteration of perhaps one of the most universally recognisable estate vehicles ever built. The 3 Series now enters its 6th generation after 32 years of dominating this corner of the marketplace.
The 3 Series Touring sets the bar high for estate cars which, typically, only value practicality and functionality over any other traits which is good for some buyers, but not enough for BMW buyers. The 3 Series Touring prides itself on being a real drivers car which is the reason behind its exceptional sales success. There have been over 1.7 million 3 Series Tourings built in the last 32 years and they’re now more popular than ever before, with the previous fifth-gen model accounting for a staggering 500,000 of those sales.
So, what has changed?
The new model is now 76 millimetres longer, 16mm wider and 8mm taller. Small gains that all combine to create a noticeably bigger vehicle with a 41mm longer wheelbase. The signature BMW kidney-grilles have swollen significantly too and all of this means the 3 Series Touring has more road presence than ever before.
Naturally, cabin space has grown significantly so rear passengers now have more legroom than ever before, and boot space has increased accordingly, to a nice round 500 litres of capacity with the rear seats in position. Fold those rear seats down and there are 1,510 litres of luggage space to operate with, which is all accessible through an electrically operated tailgate, which is a standard feature.
Headroom has increased for every seat in the car too and shoulder space for the driver and front passenger has been increased significantly too.
What lies behind those nostrils?
Well, there are 3 petrol engines available and 3 diesel engines. The M340i xDrive Touring is the car that steals the show with its performance, thanks to a whopping 374 horsepower from its straight-six engine. The 2.0-litre models will naturally be the top sellers though. The 320i petrol should be good for up to a claimed 48.7 mpg while the diesel equivalent ‘320d’ will return a claimed 61.4 mpg when driven correctly. We’re confident these latter two engines will sell particularly well with company car drivers.
Aside from the electric tailgate, there are a few other welcomed standard features you should know about. The roof rails, for example, as well as underfloor storage in the boot, separately-opening rear window, LED headlights and a multi-function leather steering wheel. Looks like quite a complete package, doesn’t it? The new 3 Series Touring goes on sale from £35,235 for the SE model and £38,135 for the M Sport and M Sport Plus models. You won’t see any on the road just yet but we recommend booking a test drive to ensure you are one of the first customers in the UK behind the wheel of the brand new BMW 3 Series Touring.