BMW Teases New 3 Series Touring — Even as Wagons Disappear From the Market

If you didn’t sit through the entire live reveal of the new BMW i3, you might have missed the fact that BMW teased something pretty special. The company will be making a new-generation 3 Series Touring—unlike the M3 Touring racing wagon revealed earlier this week, this will be a BMW wagon that's actually for sale. When even Volvo has abandoned the wagon segment, this is great news for longroof fans. 

BMW Keeps The Wagon Alive

https://www.youtube.com/live/98qr4Z26mbA?si=mR5kpGra9DwYGQnl&t=1540

Towards the end of the i3’s reveal, current BMW CEO Oliver Zipse—who will exit his position imminently—confirmed that a new 3 Series Touring is coming. On the screen behind him and visible in the video above, we got to see two very shadowy teasers of this new model: One from the side and one from the back. Most of the design was concealed, but the front and rear lighting signatures are very much reminiscent of the i3’s. 

“Business customers and [families] will be particularly delighted,” said Zipse. “The Touring has always been a favorite with them.”

Although no details were confirmed, we expect the new 3 Series Touring to follow the sedan with both electric and gas powertrains. The i3’s 463-horsepower dual-motor powertrain would be one possibility, which should make this a wagon with near-M3 levels of performance. It would slot in below the latest 5 Series Touring, which is also available in fully electric i5 form. 

Whether the new 3 Series Touring comes to the U.S. remains to be seen, as the only wagon BMW offers here currently is the high-performance M5 Touring.

What It Means

In late February, BMW accidentally leaked several new models arriving for the 2027 model year. The lineup included the M2 xDrive, an M350 xDrive, and a lower-powered version of the i3, a 40 xDrive. There was no mention of a new Touring model, so even if the new 3 Series Touring does make it here, it’s unlikely to be before the 2028 model year.

Only a few larger wagons have survived in the U.S., including the Audi RS6 Avant and the M5 Touring. These are powerful, expensive, niche products that sell in relatively low volumes. This leads us to believe the 3 Series Touring has a slim chance of coming here at best, as more Americans are likely to buy an X3. Still, it’s promising to see BMW continue to offer a variety of body styles across its lineup, despite the popularity of its SUVs.

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