The latest, also the fifth, generation of the BMW 3-series has just been given a wagon treatment. Dubbed the 3-series Touring, the new car is set to give the Audi A4 Avant and the Mercedes-Benz C-class estate a run for their money.
The new wagon will be offered with three choices of engines:
- 320d Touring: 182bhp and 280lbft 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel
- 330d Touring: 254bhp and 413lbft 3.0-liter straight six diesel
- 328i Touring: 242bhp and turbocharged 258lbft 2.0-liter four cylinder petrol
The 320d Touring model comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox with a choice of an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The 330d however comes standard with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
BMW claims the 320d hits 62mph from standstill at only 7.7secs (7.6secs for the automatic model) with a top speed of 143mph. Combined fuel economy for the 320d Touring sits at 60.1mpg (or 61.4mpg for the automatic) with CO2 emissions of 124g/km (122g/km for the auto). With an additional 72bhp on tap, the 330d Touring is slightly faster than its 2.0-liter counterpart, with 5.6 seconds to hit 62mph from standstill all the way up to a top speed of 155mph. The 330d Touring has a fuel economy of 55.4mpg and emissions sitting at 135g/km.
Although it will not reach the shores of UK until early next year, BMW is finishing up the Efficient Dynamics version of the 320d Touring. A four-wheel drive version of the 320d Touring is also being considered for the UK market to compete against the Audi A4 Allroad.
The petrol version of the 3-series Touring, the 328i Touring comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox with a choice of an eight-speed automatic. The turbocharged car ain’t too slow either, with only 6.0 secs to hit 62mph from a standstill with a limited top speed of 155mph. Fuel consumption sits at 41.5mpg and 43.5mpg for the automatic. The manual emits 159g/km of CO2 while the automatic emits 152g/km.
With the rear seats up, the 3-series Touring has a load space of 495 liters, bigger than its rival, the Audi A4 Avant which has only 490 liters and the Mercedes C-class estate with 485 liters. When the seats are down, the maximum load space is increased to 1500 liters, bigger than the A4 Avant by 70 litres.
The 3-series Touring will roll out of showrooms in UK this September with prices starting from £29,380 for the entry level 320d Touring all the way up to £37,700 for the 330d M Sport Touring - Bad Credit Car Loan customers from MSG are able to get pre-approved for their car loan and then search for their new vehicle safe in knowledge that they have the finance secure.
