BMW has been selling an i5 Touring for years, but it won’t be until 2027 that its smaller brother joins the ever-growing EV lineup. Rather than using the familiar CLAR platform, it’ll be underpinned by Neue Klasse, an architecture exclusive to electric vehicles. Munich has already teased what is known internally as the “NA1,” and a spy video gives us our best look yet at the electric 3 Series Touring.
A partially camouflaged prototype has been spotted near the Nürburgring, with camouflage only concealing the front and rear ends. We honestly don’t know why BMW even bothered to cover the nose and mirrors. After all, they’re likely to be carried over from the i3 Sedan (“NA0”). Predictably, the wagon conversion brings changes at the rear, where the company did its due diligence to conceal the reworked body.
The sedan’s wide taillights appear to have been carried over to the wagon and its more practical tailgate. A closer look at the rear wiper shows a simplified base. Presumably, it lacks the button to open the glass independently of the tailgate. As disappointing as that seems, we’re honestly not surprised. The 5 Series Touring already lost this feature with the G60 generation. Now, it appears the 3er wagon will follow suit. It would come shortly after another practical feature BMW has deleted: the X5’s split tailgate.
The Best Of Both Worlds
A wagon is the halfway point between a sedan and a crossover, and that’s also the case here. It’ll cater to those who want something more practical than the i3 Sedan but don’t want to deal with the downsides of the iX3, such as its added weight and taller, less aerodynamic body. Wagons bring the best of both worlds, and we’re glad to see BMW signing off on an i3 Touring in an otherwise SUV-obsessed world.
As for technical specifications, look no further than the i3 Sedan. However, its Touring twin will be slightly heavier and have a bit less range, but a larger cargo area. The front trunk’s 31-liter (nearly 1.1-cubic-foot) capacity will likely remain unchanged. With the rear seats in place, the i3 Touring should swallow more luggage than the sedan’s 420 liters (14.8 cubic feet), thanks to its taller, more upright rear end.
The i3 Touring Also Previews The Next 3 Series Wagon With Combustion Engines
The i3 Touring is also relevant for the combustion-engine-loving crowd. Why? Because a nearly identical-looking 3 Series wagon is in the works with gas, diesel, and plug-in hybrid power. The “G51” hasn’t been announced, but BMW is open to giving the 3 Series Touring another ICE-powered generation. Logic suggests the conventionally powered model won’t be available from day one. Instead, it’s likely to arrive a bit after the electric wagon joins the lineup in 2027.
The next 3 Series is sticking to the CLAR platform, but BMW has already said its Neue Klasse EVs will look nearly identical to combustion-engine cars in the same segment. That should become immediately evident in the coming months when the wraps come off the eighth-generation 3 Series Sedan, the “G50.”
Video: CarSpyMedia / YouTube
First published by https://bit.ly/3sM6JoH
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