It’s the end of the line for the BMW 3 Series Sports
Wagon in the United States as the automaker announced it won’t offer it beyond
the 2019 model year. Sadly, that means the all-new G21 generation of the 3 Series Touring won’t be offered in North America.
As
always, SUVs are to blame for the decision: U.S. sales of the X1 and X3 are way
bigger than those of the 3 Series Sports Wagon, and both can be considered
alternatives to the wagon to some extent.
But while the 3 Series wagon is a niche product in
North America, things are very different in Europe where, in many countries,
buyers prefer it to the sedan. This is why BMW has invested in an all-new
generation that combines the dynamic characteristics of the sedan with the
practicality typical of an estate.
Munich has just released a new photo gallery of the
3 Series Touring from the model’s international media launch, giving us a more
detailed look at the new premium wagon.
Since this is meant to be a practical car, customers
will be interested to know that the trunk can accommodate 500 liters of cargo, which is only 5 liters more than the previous generation
model. However, it’s 20 liters bigger than the sedan’s boot and
there’s also the added bonus of folding down the rear seats (40:20:40) for a
total cargo volume of 1,510 liters – plus, you get the extra height
that comes with that body style, so you can definitely fit in much more stuff if
you need to.
Standard convenience features include automatic
tailgate operation, separately-opening rear window and a storage compartment
the for boot cover and partition net.
Everything else is just like the sedan, including
the engine lineup that consists of turbocharged gasoline and diesel units with
outputs ranging from 150 PS in the 318d to 374 PS in the
M340i xDrive.
