Rumors continue to swirl about an M3 version.
A new BMW 3 Series is already on sale, but those wanting to get the new Germany luxury sedan in wagon flavor are stuck with the previous generation model. BMW is selling the new 3 Series sedan alongside the old wagon – that is until BMW unveils the new 3 Series Touring/Sport Wagon, which is expected to happen next March at the Geneva Motor Show. While that is still months away, our trusty spy photographers have caught development prototypes testing in the wild.
There are only so many ways to slice a wagon, and the 3 Series Touring is no different. It has an elongated roofline accented by classic BMW styling. It looks like a smaller version of the 5 Series Touring, which was to be expected. The spy photos look much better than the design registration photos discovered last month. The drab gray-scale of those images does no car any favors.
The new photos show the 3 Series Sport Wagon with camouflage on the rear half of the car. The uncovered front looks nearly identical to the 3 Series sedan. Even under the swirly paint, you can see several rear-end details that again look similar to the rear end of the sedan. The wagon will benefit from the sedan’s larger size, giving customers more room inside.
Under the hood, the 3 Series Touring should share engines with its sedan sibling. That means a turbocharged 2.0-liter making 255 horsepower (190 kW) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque will be standard. A 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 382 hp (295 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Newton-meters) of torque will also be available in the U.S. European customers will have three additional engines.
Rumors are still swirling about an M3 version of the Sport Wagon. They’re not new, but a potent BMW wagon would undoubtedly help fuel the rivalry with Audi and Mercedes, which both offer high-performance wagons in the same segment.
As we get closer to the 3 Series Touring’s launch, expect more spy photos to emerge. Maybe we’ll even get to see a camouflaged version of an M3 Sport Wagon. We have our fingers crossed.
Photos: CarPix
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