What's the news?

The more practical version of BMW's best-selling car is on its way. Scheduled to arrive in September the BMW 3 Series Touring promises to offer the driving dynamics expected of the all-new 3 Series but with more space for the dog/shopping or kids if you are so inclined.

Exterior

Unsurprisingly, the new Touring is a lot like the recently released 3 Series saloon. From the forward leaning kidney grill to the B-pillar both cars are identical. From there the rear end opens up to reveal a car that is 97mm longer than the previous 3 Series Touring with a 1,500-litre load capacity (seats folded) - a figure, BMW says, that is the largest load capacity in its class. An electrically powered boot door has been fitted that can be opened in a number of ways including with a strategically placed foot under the rear bumper if the Comfort Access option is specified. As standard however the 3 Series Touring does feature a split boot opening with the glass opening independently of the overall unit.

Interior

As with the exterior, the inside of the Touring is much the same as that of the saloon, save for the extra boot space. So expect to see the usual BMW driver focused cockpit, iDrive system with associated monitor on the dashboard and a range of interior trims and upholstery to suit every taste.

Mechanicals

At launch, the new BMW 3 Series Touring is powered by a choice of one petrol or two diesel powerplants, all using BMW's TwinPower turbo technology with further engines to come. The volume seller is expected to be the 184hp/380Nm 320d that can return 60.1mpg (61.4mpg with the eight-speed automatic gearbox) while pumping out a lowly 124g/km of CO₂. The 320d will be joined by the 3.0-litre 330d model that will be the pinnacle of the diesel line-up. The all-aluminium straight-six engine has been thoroughly reworked to make it more efficient and now produces 258hp at 4,000rpm with 560Nm of torque available from 1,500- to 3,000rpm. This gives the 330d an impressive 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds yet it returns 55.4mpg and just 135g/km of CO₂.

The solitary petrol offering will be the 328i that is powered by a 245hp version of BMW's 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. The Double Vanos TwinPower unit offers peak torque of 350Nm and helps the estate hit 62mph from standstill in six seconds. Like the rest of the range top speed is limited to 155mph and the 328i returns 41.5mpg with CO₂ emissions of 159g/km.

Later in the year the 184hp 320i will arrive, along with the 316d and 318d offering 116- and 143hp respectively. All models, bar the 330d, come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard with the eight-speed automatic available as an option. The auto can be further specified with a Sports option that offers punchier gear shifts through the steering wheel mounted paddles.

Data

The BMW 3 Series Touring is available to order now with five trim levels - SE, Sport, M Sport, Modern and Luxury to choose from. The 320d SE kicks off the range at £29,380 while the range-topping 330d Luxury costs £37,200.

Paul Healy - 14 May 2012