BMW i3 Touring spied – will this be the most desirable daily EV?
BMW will expand its i3 offering in all the usual ways it does with the 3-series. The upcoming Touring has been spied testing with a thin disguise
The iX3 and new X5 might be hideous, but the Neue Klasse design language on the i3 is in the view of the majority a huge success. And soon we’ll see something even more appealing with the reveal of the i3 Touring. Here we have images of the upcoming model testing at the Nürburgring with a thin disguise.
We can tell from these images that, true to the retro vibe of the new design direction, the i3 Touring is no losenge or pebble-like form, rather a proper, upright, boxy estate car. There are upswept windows aft the C-pillar but that’s about all the acquiescence to slipperier, sportier styling in sight. At the rear, we see the same horizontal lighting that doesn’t meet in the middle as the saloon. What we can’t tell is whether, like the current 3-series, the window can be lifted independent of the boot lid.
In terms of hardware, the i3 Touring will be identical to the saloon. That means it’ll likely arrive with a 50 xDrive spec option, with two motors, 463bhp and 476lb ft. It’ll also have the saloon’s 108.7kWh battery, dropping to 82.6kWh for the upcoming rear-wheel drive i3 40. What will drop somewhat due to the extra weight and less favourable aerodynamic properties, is the 559-mile range of the i3 50 xDrive saloon. But it’ll still be able to charge at 400kW and add almost 250 miles of range in 10 minutes at that speed.
We can also potentially expect a version of the new upcoming electric M3 (previewed by the M Concept Neue Klasse) to be available in Touring form, with over 600bhp courtesy of four electric motors. It’ll feature adaptive damping, steering, response and drive distribution characteristics centrally controlled with BMW M’s version of the ‘Heart of Joy’ control computer.
It feels like we’re in the middle of a bit of a watershed moment when it comes to EVs, in that not only are some catching up in terms of engineering, range offering and dynamics, but also desirability. They’re at their best when they’re everyday cars that are elevated above basic transport status in terms of desire and interest. Cases in point: Renault’s fantastic 5 and new Twingo and indeed, the new BMW i3. It’ll have even more niche enthusiast appeal in Touring form.
