SPY PICS: Tailing BMW 3 Series Touring

We brought you spy pics of BMW's F31-generation of 3 Series Touring last month, with the news that it was about 12 months away from a local launch.

Since then the good folk with the long lenses at Carparazzi have snapped the pre-production cars undergoing further testing, but with most of the camouflage cladding removed. There's not much more to tell other than what can be gauged from the pics, but the spy photographers report that the wagon is around six months away from its global debut.

There's a small but steadfast clique of buyers who prefer a traditional wagon over a 'crossover'-style five-door hatch, such as we're likely to see when the 3 Series GT reaches the market. BMW is introducing the latter to fill out the 3 Series range and offer buyers a wider diversity of variants, thus growing sales of its popular model organically.

Both cars are built on the same platform, but there'll be more luggage space and packaging flexibility from the Touring model. For instance, the Touring is likely to have a triple-split folding rear seat and a separately opening tailgate glass. However, Carparazzi expects that the 3 Series Touring will remain focused on elegance and style rather than outright load-lugging ability. Since the roof is supported by D pillars at the tailgate of the 3 Series Touring, that's where the Hofmeister kink sits, but the spy photographers call it a 'shadow Hofmeister kink', based on its position aft of the C pillar location for the sedans.

An ActiveHybrid variant is on the cards for the 3 Series Touring, according to Carparazzi. That vehicle will be powered by a three-cylinder engine working as a range extender. Other hybrid-drive features will include an electric motor, naturally, low-resistance tyres, aerodynamic alloy wheels, solar roof panel, brake energy recovery, auto-stop and active aerodynamics.

— with Carparazzi

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