BMW 3 Series Touring

The interior is fitted with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and multimedia system having the latest BMW OS 7.0, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, wireless smartphone charging, a fully-digital 12.3 inches instrument binnacle along with natural language voice activation, ambient lighting, a panoramic glass sunroof as an extra purchase, a Harmon/Kardon surround sound system and acoustic glass in the windows. The front row has sports seats while the back row can be folded to make room for cargo (1510 litres). The entire cabin is dressed in Vernasca leather upholstery but buyers can get an added Sensatec leather draped dashboard and ash grey-brown high-gloss interior trim of fine-wood under the luxury line package.

The Touring is 76 mm, 16 mm and 8 mm larger in length, width and height than its predecessor. The exteriors are handsome with a reshaped kidney grill, 19-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, satin finished aluminium roof rails, an electric tailgate, slimmer adaptive LED headlights, LED fog lights and blue M Sport brakes with designation.

The Touring’s M Sport differential maximizes driving stability when driving out of a bend with high or increasing speed and while shifting lanes. Traction is controlled according to changes in conditions of road surfaces. Driving preferences can be altered between comfortable and athletic by electrically adjusting the adaptive M suspension using the Driving Experience Control.

The basic power unit of the 3 Series Touring consists of a BMW 4-cylinder TwinPower turbo petrol engine wedded to a ZF-sourced automatic (manual using gear lever or gearshift paddles) 8-speed sport torque-converter steptronic transmission resulting in a torque of 400 Nm and a net power of 188 hp in the 320d. The 330i Touring produces a torque of 400 Nm at 1550 to 4400 rpm and generates a power of 255 hp at 5000 to 6500 rpm which is about 50 Nm and 8 hp higher than its predecessor. The 2.0-litre turbo takes the 330i to 100 kmph from rest within 5.9 seconds and is highly responsive even at low speeds. The fuel consumption ratio is 6.4 litre per 100 km according to the European WLTP cycle.

The BMW is loaded with advanced safety features like the driver assistant professional which consists of several attributes such as emergency stop assistant, lane keeping assist with support on narrow roads, steering and lane control assistant and active side collision protection. The steering and lane control assistant helps to keep the car in the middle of the lane while supporting the steering functions at the same time. It can work up to a speed of 210 kmph with active cruise control on almost all driving conditions. Other facilities include crossroads alert with city braking function (used to detect vehicle crossings, traffic signs and traffic lights to prevent collision or reduce the speed of impact), parking assistant plus (comprises of features like top view, remote view 3D and panorama view surround view systems, active parking distance control, lateral parking aid, linear guidance assistant and emergency braking function), reversing assistant (memorises the last 50 m of path covered while moving forward so that the motion can be retracted if necessary) and automatic speed limit assist. The Touring also has the BMW drive recorder that can record videos of the surrounding vehicle environment and display them to the driver providing details such as GPS position and speed. 

In terms of braking, the Touring is equipped with four-piston fixed callipers and single-piston floating callipers at the front and rear respectively alongside large brake discs to guarantee an effective and reliable braking assembly.

The Touring brings in impressive driver assist systems, improved engine performance, larger dimensions and other attractive attributes that have by now become standard for most BMWs. When it comes to shortcomings the 3 Series Touring doesn’t seem to have much, and hence it is a suggested automobile addition for BMW enthusiasts.