- BMW’s electric i3 Touring wagon has been snapped for the first time.
- Sleek styling disguises practical shape that preserves cargo space.
- Single, dual-motor setups will mirror sedan’s; M3 EV Touring possible.
We knew it was coming, and finally BMW’s next-generation electric wagon has been caught out in the open. Fresh spy shots give us our first proper look at the i3 Touring, the longroof companion to this year’s electric 3-Series sedan, and it looks like practicality won’t come at the expense of style.
BMW briefly teased the wagon during the reveal of the i3 sedan earlier this year, but these prototype images offer a much clearer picture. Even beneath camouflage, the Touring appears sharp and modern, with crisp surfacing, flush door handles, and proportions that feel noticeably more athletic than those on today’s petrol-powered 3-Series Touring.
Related: BMW Opens i3 Orders With New 463-HP First Edition
The shoulder line rises from around the rear door toward the D-pillar, visually shrinking the rear side windows and creating the impression of a lower, sleeker roof. In reality, the roof remains relatively flat, which should help preserve the cargo space buyers expect from a BMW wagon.
Shared Design, Split Foundations
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Like the i3 sedan, the Touring sits on BMW’s dedicated Neue Klasse electric architecture. A combustion-powered Touring is also in development, though it’ll ride on an updated version of the CLAR platform that underpins the current 3-Series. Different foundations, near-identical results, since both are expected to wear almost the same exterior styling once you set aside the proportions, and both get BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive cabin with its wide digital display running along the base of the windshield.
When it comes to powertrains, expect the wagon to again closely mirror the sedan. The only confirmed version so far is the dual-motor i3 50 xDrive, which produces 463 hp (470 PS / 345 kW), but based on what we know of the related iX3 SUV, an i3 40 with a single 316 hp (320 PS / 235 kW) electric motor driving the rear wheels should follow.
520+ Miles Of Electric Range
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BMW is sure to claim some impressive range figures thanks to its sixth-generation eDrive technology, 800-volt electrical architecture, new cylindrical battery cells and a generous 108.7 kWh battery capacity. The Touring’s extra size and weight will likely shave a few miles from the sedan’s incredible 559-mile WLTP (900 km) numbers, but it should still be the longest-legged electric wagon around by a wide margin.
And for anyone already wondering about performance versions, BMW has thought about that too. An M Performance model is inevitable, while given the cult success of the ICE-powered M3 wagon, a fully fledged four-motor electric M3 Touring borrowing heavily from the recent M Concept Neue Klasse sedan could eventually join the lineup.
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