New BMW 3 Series Touring announced

BMW has announced that the Touring – or estate – version of its new 3 Series will be priced from £29,380 when it goes on sale in September. Three variants will be offered at launch, the 320d, the 328i and the 330d, priced from £29,380, £30,400 and £34,700 respectively.

The new 3 Series Touring is the largest ever – its 495 litre load area is 35 litres larger than the outgoing model, and it can be expanded to 1500 litres with the seats folded.  The rear seats have a 40/20/40 split set up, meaning skis or snowboards can be stowed with four occupants in the car.

The boot is electrically operated as standard and can be opened via the keyfob or by a button in the cabin. As an optional extra, a motion sensor can be installed at the back of the car, making it possible to open the tailgate by moving your foot under the rear bumper.

Additionally, the glass area of the boot can be opened independently of the main tailgate, making it possible to load small items when space behind the car is limited.

That larger load space lies within a recognisably ‘BMW’ rear end, while the front end styling is identical to the 3 Series saloon. All cars come with alloy wheels, air conditioning, a colour screen, iDrive, keyless start, USB audio compatibility and an Eco-Pro driving mode designed to save fuel.

Moving up from entry level ES trim to SE trim gets you parking sensors front and rear, auto-dimming mirror, two-zone air conditioning and automatic lights and wipers. There are also ‘model line’ options that allow buyers to further customise their car to suit their personal styling tastes.

The entry level 320d diesel model produces 184PS and 380Nm of torque while delivering combined cycle economy of 60.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 124g/km. The 328i petrol produces 245PS and 350Nm of torque, with combined cycle economy of 45.1mpg and emissions of 159g/km. Finally the 330d diesel produces 258PS and an impressive 560Nm of torque, with official economy of 55.4mpg.

More models are expected to join the 3 Series Touring range after launch.