Munich-based BMW has officially revealed photos and information about the new 3 Series Touring model. Together with the sedan, which we had the opportunity to test last month, it will start a fight against strong German competition. I am mainly referring to the A4 Avant from Audi and the C -class from Mercedes . Will BMW be better?
No one is surprised by manufacturers' efforts to make the biggest, most powerful and most economical car possible. However, in the case of the new three in the station wagon body, the size increase is quite striking. An additional 97 millimeters in length ensured a larger wheelbase (+50 mm), the more muscular proportions stand out thanks to the increased wheel track. 37 millimeters for the front axle and 48 for the rear axle simply won't hide, and thanks to this, we can expect brilliant behavior of the car in corners. At the same time, the total weight decreased by an average of 40 kilograms compared to the previous model.
One of the decisive parameters for a station wagon body is the volume of the luggage compartment. BMW certainly did a very expensive research of the competition and the results are like this – 495 liters of luggage volume, which is, as it were, 5 liters more than the Audi and 10 more than the Mercedes C . Very gratifying, but for the next generations of its models, the ball is in the competition's court.
Only 3 engines will appear in the menu in the first phase, only one of which needs gasoline to live. It is a turbocharged two-liter four-cylinder with the designation 328i , which replaced the popular six-cylinder 330i as part of downsizing. BMW promises a maximum power of up to 245 hp, a torque of 350 Nm and a maximum speed limited to 250 km/h. There will be a choice between a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Thrifty drivers will be pleased with the declared average fuel consumption of 6.8 liters.
The weaker of the diesel units is labeled 320d and with 184 horsepower, it is the same variant that we subjected to the editorial test . 380 Nm of torque can push into the seats during acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, the manufacturer promises an average consumption of 4.7 liters of diesel in the combined cycle, which is certainly not unrealistic.
The last of the trio of units is the old well-known three-liter six-cylinder with the designation 330d , which will hold the position of the most powerful engine offered until the arrival of the 335i variant. 258 hp of power and 560 Nm of torque is certainly not to be thrown away, if combined with a combined consumption of 5.1 liters of diesel. However, unlike previous versions, the engine will not be available with a manual transmission. The excellent eight-speed automatic from the ZF company will thus remain standard.
Just like the sedan, the station wagon version will be available in three versions: Luxury , Modern and Sport already this summer. The basic price of the BMW 3 series F31 Touring will be set in all variants by roughly 60-80 thousand higher than it is now in the case of a car with a sedan body.
Photo: BMWBLOG.com
