We recently saw some spy photos of the next-gen BMW 3 Series Touring, its wagon variant, driving around wearing some heavy camo. Despite being camouflaged, we were still able to make out the basic shape of it and it seemed to be a handsome enough looking car and a step up from its predecessor. Now, some more spy photos have emerged and we can see the 3 Series Touring in a bit better detail, as its camo seems to be a bit less extreme. (We don’t own the spy photos but you can check them out at Autocar)
This test mule’s camo seems to show of a few of its design cues, most notably its front end. The headlights and Kidney Grilles are on full display and they look significantly better than those of the F30-gen 3 Series. The grilles are now merged at the hip, making them almost seem like one giant grille. It’s a design element that seems to be making its way to all new BMW cars. We’re not sure if we love it but time will tell. Either way, they look better than the F30’s, which had little arms that connected the headlights to the grilles and looked odd.
The headlights are new, too, with little cutouts in the bottom of them, reminiscent of the E46 3 Series headlights which were, in my opinion, is the best looking 3 Series of all time.
In profile, this new 3 Series Touring looks good and better than before. It looks a bit lower and wider, despite not actually looking all that different from the F31 Touring it replaces. One major difference is the lack of sharp shoulder line in this new car, which is a bit smoother, more cohesive. Although, we are a bit upset at the lack of strong Hofmeister Kink. It’s there but it’s very subtle and that’s a bit disappointing, as it’s always been one of BMW’s famous design cues.
Overall, though, this new 3 Series Touring seems to be shaping up nicely. When it goes on sale, it will have some tough competition, as the Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate and Jaguar XE Sportbrake are all real lookers. Though, we think this will hold its own quite well.
[Source: Autocar]
