The new BMW 3 Series Touring

Thirty two years on from the debut of the first ever BMW 3 Series Touring, the new edition of the five-door 3 Series brings a compelling and seamless blend of driving pleasure and functional appeal to the premium midsize class.

Since its launch in 1987, more than 1.7 million examples of the 3 Series Touring have hit the roads, with the new car’s immediate predecessor alone accounting for more than 500,000 of these.

The new 3 Series Touring will have latest-generation engines and new chassis technology to provide improvements in performance and handling, while intelligent equipment features optimise versatility both in everyday use and on trips away. It also includes the new BMW design language, a refined interior and innovations in control/operation and connectivity. Priced from £35,505 OTR, the new 3 Series Touring is available now at BMW retailers across the UK.

Exterior design
The 3 Series Touring has larger exterior dimensions than its predecessor. It has grown by 76mm to 4,709mm in length, by 16mm to 1,827mm in width and by 11mm to 1,440mm in height. The wheelbase has also been extended by 41mm to 2,851mm, plus 43mm added to the front track (1,587 mm) and 21mm to the rear track (1,604mm).

The Touring matches the nose of the new BMW 3 Series Saloon, and is headlined by a large BMW kidney grille, slim twin headlights and a jutting front apron. The two elements of the BMW kidney grille are framed by a single surround and split up by wide bars. The headlight units extend all the way up to the grille and this familiar look is further emphasised by a notch in the front apron that rises up into the headlight unit contour. Adaptive LED headlights with U-shaped daytime driving lights are standard.

BMW Laserlight featuring blue, L-shaped elements in the inner and outer light sources are optionally available.

Central to the fresh look alongside the long bonnet, short overhangs and long wheelbase is the extended roofline. Added to which, a character line climbing from the front side panel, along the doors and into the rear teams up with the rearwards descending roofline to create a more wedged profile.

The converging lines also dictate the contour of the Hofmeister kink (the familiar counter-swing at the trailing edge of the side window graphic). Roof rails are part of the standard specification for all models and finished in either Black Matte (SE Models) or Black High-gloss Shadow Line (Sport, M Sport and M Sport Plus Edition).

The rear window is around 20mm wider than on the outgoing model and now extends beyond the water run-off strips on either side of the boot opening. All of the light functions use LEDs as standard. Elsewhere, the tailpipes from the exhaust system (a dual-pipe system on all model variants) have a diameter of 80 or 90mm, depending on the engine fitted. The new BMW 3 Series Touring also comes as standard with a load sill cover in stainless steel.

From launch, SE and Sport customers can choose from two non-metallic colours and nine metallic shades. M Sport customers have a choice of one non-metallic and five metallic shades. The newly introduced M Sport Plus Edition is available in a choice of three exclusive colours – Dravit Grey, Tanzanite Blue and Oxide Grey.

Interior
The driver-focused cockpit design, with controls arranged to optimal ergonomic effect, helps the person behind the wheel to concentrate on the road ahead. The newly designed instrument cluster and Control Display form a large-surfaced, screen grouping, while the controls not included in these units are clustered into clearly structured function panels. In the centre of the instrument panel, the displays and buttons for the air conditioning integrated around the central air vents form a sharply designed unit, while the light functions are operated from a panel of buttons next to the steering wheel. The start/stop button for the engine is now positioned in a control panel in the centre console, where the gearshift lever or newly designed selector lever is joined by the iDrive Controller and the buttons for the Driving Experience Control switch unit and electromechanical parking brake.

The range of standard and optional interior trim elements available for the instrument panel and centre console has been replaced almost in full. SE and Sport models come with Black High Gloss trim, and M Sport customers have a choice of two aluminium trims as well as a selection of modern open pore wood trims. Customers choosing the M Sport Plus Edition benefit from an exclusive Aluminium Fabric high-gloss trim.

Three trim levels and a new Edition model for the UK
The new BMW 3 Series Touring comes in three trim levels: SE, Sport and M Sport. As well as a line-specific front and rear bumper design, the SE comes with exclusive light- alloy wheels in 17-inch or optional 18-inch formats, aluminium door sill strips and LED front foglamps. The SE model comes specified as standard with a restyled leather sport steering wheel with multifunction buttons and thumb rests.

Sport model includes BMW Individual High-gloss Shadow Line trim, plus kidney grille bars and trim elements for the air intakes and rear apron in High-gloss Black. The sporty exterior is enhanced with exclusive 18” V spoke light alloy wheels. Inside the Sport gets trim strips in High-gloss Black and heated sports seats in Vernasca leather.

M Sport model features large air intakes at the front end to combine with an equally distinctive design for the side skirts and rear apron. These elements are joined by BMW Individual High-gloss Shadow Line trim, kidney grille bars in High-gloss Black, air intake trim in High-gloss Black and a rear diffuser in Dark Shadow. Heated sports seats with Vernasca leather, an M leather steering wheel, an anthracite-coloured BMW Individual headliner and interior trim strips in Aluminium Tetragon are standard for the M Sport model.

From launch the new M Sport Plus Edition will be introduced exclusively for the UK market. This Edition features all of the content from the popular M Sport Plus package including sun protect glazing, Adaptive M Sport suspension, Extended BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line, M Seat Belts, M Sport Braking System (320d, 320d xDrive) and M Sport Differential (330i and 330d xDrive). In addition, the M Sport Plus Edition benefits from a choice of three exclusive BMW Individual exterior colours – Dravit Grey, Tanzanite Blue or Oxide Grey – along with black mirror caps, an exclusive jet black 19” M light Double spoke alloy wheel and exclusive Aluminium Fabric high-gloss interior trim. The M Sport Plus Edition is available on the 320i, 320d, 320d xDrive, 330i and 330d xDrive models.

Engines
The 3 Series Touring uses a range of petrol and diesel engines with either four or six cylinders and BMW TwinPower Turbo in the petrol versions. The BMW 320d Touring and BMW 318d Touring models are mated to the latest-generation six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with the most recent version of the eight-speed Steptronic transmission (standard on the other model variants) available as an option. The intelligent all-wheel-drive system is standard on the range-topping BMW M340i xDrive Touring and available as an option on the 330d xDrive and 320d xDrive models.

BMW Head-Up Display
The BMW Head-Up Display, available as part of the Technology package, projects driving-related information directly into the driver’s field of vision on the windscreen. The latest generation of the system boasts a projection area 70 per cent larger than in the outgoing BMW 3 Series Touring, plus enhanced graphics and additional display readings. If the Driving Assistant Professional system is specified, the BMW Head-Up Display also features distance warning, which flashes up a graphic icon to alert the driver when they get closer to the vehicle in front than the pre-set minimum distance..

BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant
New for the BMW 3 Series Touring, drivers and passengers will be joined by the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant – an intelligent, digital character that responds to the prompt “Hey BMW”. BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant learns routines and habits and is subsequently able to apply them in the appropriate context. The system helps the driver, learns their preferences and is familiar with their favoured settings – e.g. for the seat heating or the places they drive to frequently using the navigation system (“Take me home”). One unique feature over other digital assistants is that drivers can give the Intelligent Personal Assistant a name to create even greater individuality and personality. Not only does the Intelligent Personal Assistant await the driver’s every command, it is always there to assist them and even provide casual conversation.

Familiarisation with the vehicle’s functions will be learnt and the ability to operate them as required. Saying “Hey BMW, I’m cold” will prompt the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant to adjust the temperature inside the car accordingly.

The arrival of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant ensures there is always a genuine BMW professional on board. This gives the ability to explain all sorts of different functions (“How does the High Beam Assistant work?”), provide current status information (“Is the oil level okay?”) and help answer questions (“What messages do I have?”).

Drivers can allow access to their calendar and contacts, which will enable the assistant to find parking spaces at the destination, provide information on traffic jams along the route, find the nearest fuel station and remind the driver when they need to set off.

The assistant will benefit from constant technical upgrades and be able to learn more and more preferences and favoured settings. The assistant takes further strides forward with every command given, every question asked and every setting made.

The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant is standard on all BMW 3 Series Touring M Sport and M Sport Plus Edition models as part of the new BMW Operating System 7.0 and in conjunction with the Live Cockpit Professional – and provides its services for a period of three years. The Connected Package Professional adds a spread of additional functions.

BMW Digital Key: turning the smartphone into a car key
As part of Comfort Access, the BMW Digital Key employs Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to allow the new BMW 3 Series Saloon to be locked and unlocked from selected smartphones. Holding the smartphone up to the door handle opens the car and, once inside, the engine can be started as soon as the phone has been placed in the wireless charging or smartphone tray. Accessible via the BMW Connected app, the Digital Key offers unrivalled flexibility as the driver can share it with up to five other people. The BMW Digital Key is available for selected NFC-capable Samsung smartphones running Android 8.1 and above.

*Article Source http://www.press.bmwgroup.com