BMW has released details of a car that’s bound to be very popular with company car drivers. Meet the new 3 Series Touring.
The estate version of the Bavarian firm’s popular saloon model is larger, more cavernous inside and boasts a trio of engines which promise an attractive compromise between performance and fuel economy.
Three engines are available form launch: two diesels and one petrol engine. The two diesel engines are likely to appeal to company car drivers with the 320d Touring offering the lowest company car tax bills.
Its 2.0-litre diesel engine, with six-speed manual gearbox, emits just 124g/km of CO2 placing it in the 18% Benefit-in Kind band. With a list price starting at £29,380 the company car tax is likely to begin at under £180 per month for a 40% tax payer.
Although not as cheap as some of the competition in terms of monthly bills, the BMW also boasts an impressive set of performance figures to bolster the appeal of its lowest-emitting estate. It generates 184bhp and 380Nm of torque. This means the 320d will hit 62mph in 7.7 seconds and go on to a top speed of 143mph. Fuel economy is a claimed 60.1mpg on the combined cycle for the six-speed manual version or 61.4mpg for the eight-speed automatic model.
The other diesel engine available offers far superior performance. The 330d uses a 3.0-litre engine which makes 258bhp and a massive 580Nm of pulling power, meaning 62mph flashes by in 5.6 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited to 155mph. Carbon dioxide emissions for this model are 135g/km, slotting it into the 21% company car tax band and meaning monthly costs should start at around £245 in company car tax for a 40% tax payer. Fuel economy is a claimed 55.4mpg on the combined cycle.
Petrol power comes courtesy of a 2.0-litre engine installed in 328i guise. This translates to 245bhp, 350Nm of torque and a sprint to 62mph in 6 seconds flat. Top speed is once again limited to 155mph, fuel economy is a claimed 41.5mpg and CO2 emissions are 159g/km – meaning this model isn’t likely to appeal to company car drivers.
Other engines are in the pipeline too, including 316d and 318d models which offer lower performance than the 320d. There’s no word on specific statistics at this time.
Each engine comes with BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technology, which means stop/start, brake energy regeneration and ECO PRO economical driving tips come as standard.
Aesthetically speaking the 3 Series Touring is exactly the same as the saloon right up to the pillar between the front and rear doors. Of course, being an estate, practicality is an important factor. The load space is quoted as 495 litres with the seats up, extending to 1,500 litres when the trio of 40:20:40-split rear seats are folded down flat. The tailgate is split, enabling loading of smaller items when space is at a premium behind the parked car. Furthermore, the tailgate is electrically powered via the key fob, a button on the A pillar or a button on the boot lid itself.
Trim levels are similar to that of the current 3 Series saloon – ES, SE, Sport, Modern, Luxury and M Sport will be on offer.
The new 3 Series Touring will be available in dealerships in September.
