BMW 330i Touring 2020 Review

The term ‘hotly anticipated’ is thrown around fairly loosely in new car parlance – but in the case of the new BMW 3 Series, it fits the bill.

With the 3 Series sedan recently winning the 2019 carsales Car of the Year award, the good times are set to keep on rolling for the Bavarian car-maker’s mid-size premium benchmark.

First up, the all-wheel-drive inline six 340i sedan powerhouse, followed by respective derivatives of the related 4 Series, 4 Series Gran Coupe and convertible body styles -- not to mention the eventual onslaught of M-fettled machinery. And on that last count alone, there’s talk of rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive weaponry in the form of the M3 and M4.

Then there’s the new BMW 330i Touring. The first and for now only wagon grade of the new 3 Series landed in Australia in October in understated fashion, with no national launch or roadside billboard presence of which to speak.

The 330i driven here is priced from $73,900 (plus on-road costs). That makes it $3000 dearer than the equivalent sedan, and oddly $1000 dearer than the equivalently sized SUV – the BMW X3 xDrive30i.

The BMW 330i Touring is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, with 190kW and 400Nm sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Officially, 0-100km/h is reached in just under 6sec, while fuel consumption is rated at 7.0L/100km.

In keeping with local versions of previous 3 Series Touring models, an M Sport package is fitted as standard to the BMW 330i Touring. This includes an aerodynamics package which sits the wagon 10mm lower, 19-inch light alloy wheels, M Sport brakes and adaptive dampers – as per our test car.

Alternatively, customers can opt for a Luxury Line package at no extra cost, which adds wood trim to the interior, a sport leather steering wheel, sport seats for the driver and passenger, Bi-Colour 19-inch alloy wheels and aluminium roof rails with a satin finish.

Our full pricing story has the run down, but other standard features include a 40:20:40 split rear seat with electric adjustment, an electric tailgate, 10-speaker audio system, adaptive LED headlights and LED fog lights and wireless smartphone charging. As with other BMW models, Apple Carplay is standard for the first 12 months of ownership only, attracting a nominal annual fee thereafter. Android Auto is not available.

On the safety front, BMW’s Driving Assistant package is standard, which includes lane-departure warning, lane-change warning, front collision and approach control (autonomous emergency braking), rear-end collision warning and speed sign recognition.

Using three cameras and radar, the Level 2 autonomous tech includes active cruise control with stop/go functionality, steering and lane control assist, and front cross-traffic alert.

Exterior styling has changed slightly from the previous model, gaining a larger, reshaped kidney grill, slimmer headlights and a sleeker side profile. It makes for a striking presence in the metal, garnering plenty of second glances from onlookers during our five-day loan.

As with the G20 3 Series sedan, the G21 generation wagon is based on a new CLAR modular platform that also underpins the bigger 5 Series and 7 Series limousines.

The BMW 3 Series is backed by a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty – well behind mainstream marques but par for the course in the luxury landscape. There are various BMW Service plans offered to buyers.

On the latter, BMW says it will cost owners $1565 ($4110 including brakes and wipers) for the first five years/80,000km of ownership.

If you subscribe to the theory that first impressions last, then our verdict of the BMW 330i Touring is more or less cemented within the first 10 minutes behind the wheel.

Arriving at Melbourne airport at 10.30pm, weary-eyed following a delayed flight, your correspondent settles into the driver’s chair of the 330i Touring and subconsciously unwinds, commencing a circa 2.5 hour night drive to Phillip Island for the recent MotoGP round.

Slightly longer (+41mm) and wider than before, the new 330i’s boot is able to hold 500 litres of cargo with the rear seats in place and 1510 litres once folded. The space easily swallows a couple of suitcases.

Inside, contact points are soft and supple, and the cabin is immaculately presented with quality highlights and materials. BMW’s latest iDrive 7.0 operating system ushers the 3 Series into a modern direction – without losing the cabin’s sense of familiarity.

BMW had fallen behind Audi and Mercedes-Benz for interior presentation, namely with dated, analogue displays. The 330i Touring demonstrates that, once again, the Bavarian marque is back to its best. After all, it did win carsales COTY!

On our MotoGP drive the cabin is softly blanketed in ambient lighting while the road ahead of starkly lit by excellent headlights as we venture out of Melbourne’s main arterial roads.

While doing so, the G20 Touring adheres to some traditional BMW strengths; its comfortable driver’s chair is low-slung in the cabin, and the centre rotary dial and gear shifter feel second nature to anyone who has spent time in a BMW in the past 20 years.

BMW says head and shoulder room has been increased and the seats have been redesigned to make long drives more comfortable. This is verified on our red-eye commute. There’s more than adequate space for adults of all sizes up front and the pleasing proportions in the rear are replete with rear air vents, ISOFIX child tether points and more.

With one eye on the speedo along Melbourne’s keenly-enforced roads, the 330i’s clean, legible instrument displays are another high point: easy to navigate and easy on the eye.

And, similar to its recently released 3 Series sedan sibling, the Touring is equipped with BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional, Parking Assistant Plus with Reversing Assistant and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. This includes a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch control display.

All those interior elements withstanding, the 3 Series Touring’s biggest point of difference from the SUV crowd comes to the fore on the road.

Low slung and low fuss, this sleek wagon rides and handles impressively, with an innate ability to shake off bumps while offering the traditional balanced rear-drive dynamics that have come to be expected of the 3 Series.

In short, it leaves SUVs in its dust for handling and, frankly speaking, outright driving enjoyment.

A small weight reduction of 10kg compared to the outgoing model and a claimed 25 per cent improvement in rigidity have endowed the longstanding Touring with added ability on the road.

Across our 700km road test, the BMW 330i Touring impresses with positive turn-in and road-hugging adhesion through turns. A low centre of gravity and relatively light 1575kg kerb weight also brings swift changes in direction.

More than that, the feeling of the key controls are spot on; the steering is well weighted, accurate and offers excellent feel and feedback, brakes feel well metered in their pedal action and response, and an electronics suite that is acutely attuned to the given driving environment.

Press on a little harder and the BMW 330i Touring shines with excellent front-to-rear balance. In normal operation it has that nice neutral feeling through corners you’d expect but it’s happy to become taily with the right amount of throttle.

Elsewhere, adaptive dampers manage to take the edge off B-grade roads south of Melbourne, never crashing or jarring through the cabin despite the fitment of 19-inch wheels. External noise is adequately suppressed.

Then, there’s the engine. A 2.0-litre four-cylinder might not set the world on fire on paper, but it belies its displacement with effortless torque off the bottom, and a willingness to rev at the top of the dial.
It sounds surprisingly good, too; filled with character and zing for a four-pot.

SUVs might be the unequivocal battleground for the car-makers, but the BMW 330i Touring proves the humble wagon deserves its spot in the limelight..

Lighter and livelier on the road than an SUV, and subjectively, an exercise in sleek design, the 330i Touring makes a compelling wagon accompaniment to the COTY-winning 3 Series sedan.

How much does the 2020 BMW 330i cost?
Price: $73,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 190kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 160g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2019 Year - sedan)

Read the whole BMW winning 2019 Car of the Year story