Overview

Following on from its four-door saloon counterpart comes the BMW 3 Series Touring. The estate retains the saloon’s strong handling and performance credentials, while offering more a more practical interior layout and space.

What’s more, the Touring version of the 3 Series is offered with a range of petrol and diesel engines to meet the economy, performance and environmental priorities of most drivers.

• 2019 BMW 3 Series Touring – full review

• Read our review of the all-new 2019 BMW 3 Series Saloon

The boot space of the Touring is extended, to a more-than-useful 495 litres with the rear seats in place. This isn’t just larger than the regular 3 Series, it’s also 35 litres more than the previous generation. There’s also more legroom for those in the rear, thanks to the extended wheelbase, and a less claustrophobic feel thanks to the flatter roofline.

The added space means this relatively compact BMW estate can compete with rivals like the contemporary Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate, which offers 485 litres of storage space, and even beat the Audi A4 Avant’s 490 litres. Drop the rear seats in the 3 Series Touring and the space in the rear increases to a potential 1,500 litres.

BMW places driver enjoyment first, but the Touring’s practical 40:20:40 split of the rear seats means you can drop the seats in a selection of ways in order to make room for longer objects while still carrying passengers.

Broad engine choice

While the main focus is on practicality, the range of available engines in the BMW 3 Series Touring allows the driver to choose just the right balance of running costs and performance. Prefer to save money on fuel? There are petrol and diesel offerings to suit. Want to go fast? BMW’s turbocharged six-cylinder models happily oblige. There’s no M3 version, though.

At launch a choice of three engines filled the range: two diesels and one petrol. The sole petrol engine is the 328i that produces 242bhp and can complete 0-62mph in around six seconds. The entry-level 181bhp 320d is the pick of the bunch for running costs when looking at the earliest models; a claimed fuel economy of 60.1mpg, or 61.4mpg for the automatic version, is matched by lower emissions for taxation too.

The more powerful 330d, which makes 254bhp, can go from 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds while emitting just 135g/km of CO2 and averaging a claimed 55.4mpg. It’s equipped with BMW’s pioneering economy-improving EfficientDynamics additions such as stop/start, brake energy regeneration and Eco Pro driving mode.