By June of this year, BMW will add one more and final model to its 3 Series family. With the 3 Series Gran Turismo being phased out, the 3 Series family will include only the sedan and the touring models. We’ve already seen and driven the G20 3 Series several times now, but the G21 3 Series Touring is still somewhat of an enigma. Earlier this week, a lightly camouflaged 3 Series prototype was spotted in Germany and while that might not be big news, the badge on the boot is. Based on our information, this is the G21 BMW M340i Touring, the top model of the touring family, sitting just below the famed M3 and sharing the podium with the G20 M340i.
That’s the good news. The bad one is that it won’t arrive to the United States. The previous generation F31 3 Series Touring was the last BMW sports wagon to arrive on this side of the pond, but the future of touring models in the United States is uncertain. Partly, because of the SUV craze that has every automaker chase those segments.
Under the hood, the G21 M340i carries the same B58 3.0 liter inline-six making 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque in Europe. The engine will be paired to an all-wheel drive system and the power will be sent to all wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
In these photos, it’s pretty easy to see almost exactly what the upcoming G21 3 Series Touring will look like. From the B-pillar forward, it’s obvious that it’s basically the same as the 3 Series sedan. Where we want to look is from the B-pillar back. The roofline tapers nicely toward the back of the Touring’s hatch and gives it a sporty look. Judging by these photos, its Hofmeister Kink is seemingly different from that of the sedan. Rather than the more arrow-like one on the sedan, the Touring model gets one that’s more traditional. The little roof spoiler is a nice touch as well.
Just like all the new M Performance Automobiles – M340i and Z4 M40i – the front-end will differentiate itself from the regular 3 Series by having a mesh grille. The front-end will also featured the dynamic M Sport Package, with large air intakes and an aero-friendly bumper.
In the interior, it is already clear that BMW wants to take the wind out of the sails of all critics of materials and workmanship, so we expect the same level and quality as the one in the G20 sedan. The BMW 3 Series Touring G21 also gets the new infotainment system iDrive 7.0, which was previously presented in the X5 G05 and the G15 8 Series.
The G21 3 Series will be once again an important model for the Bavarians, so we expect sale to at leash match those of the F31 3 Series. First drives are scheduled for June 2019 and as always, we will have a first-hand report.
[Source: DCN Cars on Instagram]