BMW 3 Series Touring confirmed with electric power, petrol could follow

BMW has confirmed the return of the 3 Series Touring, with the next-generation wagon set to be built next year as an electric i3 model, while executives remain coy about whether combustion versions will be renewed.

While SUVs may dominate global sales charts, BMW has acknowledged that there is enough demand to justify continued investment in station wagons, confirming the next-generation 3 Series will again be offered in Touring form.

The announcement came as BMW chairman Oliver Zipse concluded his remarks to the press and factory workers in Munich, when a silhouette of the next 3 Series Touring wagon was revealed to widespread acclaim from a stadium full of enthusiasts.

“The 3 Series has been much more than just a sedan. I don’t want to reveal everything today, but there is one model I am happy to confirm: the BMW 3 Series Touring,” Zipse said.

“Business customers and families will be particularly delighted. The Touring has always been a favourite with them.”

Sales of the outgoing ‘G20’ 3 Series were slanted to the four-door sedan body style, which accounted for around 80 per cent of global sales, but production volumes remain high enough that the Touring’s 20 per cent slice is commercially significant.

Initially, BMW is expected to build the i3 Touring in the same ‘50 xDrive’ trim as the sedan.

This model produces 345kW/645Nm from dual motors, fed by a circa-108kWh battery providing 900km range (WLTP).

While production of a new 3 Series Touring is now certain, questions remain about the availability of petrol engines and whether the wagon will come to Australia.

The majority of BMW’s station wagon customers are European, where CO2 regulations put pressure on carmakers to sell EVs to avoid emissions penalties, with Australia now following a similar path under NVES.

As a result, BMW initially planned to launch the new 3 Series Touring only with electric power, but softening EV growth in favour of resurgent hybrid demand means plug-in hybrid (PHEV) tech may be on the table.

In Europe, the top-selling powertrains for the outgoing 3 Series Touring were PHEVs, with the model particularly popular with company car and salary-sacrificing buyers.

A decision on whether to sell the new 3 Series Touring with a choice of hybrid or EV has implications beyond the standard range.

The next M3 sedan will have a choice of six-cylinder petrol or EV power, but the M3 Touring was tipped to be EV-only.

There is now a narrow prospect that the performance wagon could have a broader powertrain mix.

However, there are indications to the contrary.

Senior BMW sources confirm that while the brand prefers to offer a choice of internal combustion engines (ICE) or EV, at least one ‘niche’ model in the pipeline will be electric-only.

BMW has time to finalise the Touring’s powertrain mix, with the sedan set to enter production first in August, followed by four-door ICE variants late this year.

The wagon is not expected to roll off the line until mid-2027.

The key decision now is whether BMW commits to an electric-only 3 Series Touring or expands the range to include petrol and hybrid options to bridge the gap between emissions regulations and uneven EV uptake.

The bigger question is: What – if anything at all – will slot under the bonnet of the next-gen M3 Touring?

* Lead image created with AI assistance

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