We went behind the wheel of the 2023 BMW 3 series Touring to see if this is the perfect family car. The BMW 3 Series Touring we tested is the facelift model. The BMW 3 Series Touring is one of the brand’s best overall cars, with sports sedan handling, SUV practicality, and handsome good looks to create a nearly perfect daily driving package. 20 percent of the BMW 3 Series models sold globally are tourings. But if we look at market distributions, the 3 Series Touring accounts for 85 percent of the 3 Series sales in Germany. Other markets, like the UK, are also showing a large affinity for sport wagons.
Mild Exterior Design Changes
Its overall combination of handsome but understated good looks, sporty driving dynamics, premium cabin, and wagon practicality make it one of the best overall vehicles on the market. And now it’s even better, thanks to the updated style and upgraded tech from its new LCI facelift.
Up front, the 3 Series Touring is all-new; new headlights, new grille, and a new lower front fascia. Gone are the pre-LCI 3er’s notches headlights. In their place are sharper, sportier headlights similar to those of the 4 Series. When combined with the new grille that gets double grille slats, like an M car, it looks much sportier than before.
Beneath the grille and headlights are entirely new air intakes, with new body lines that look more cohesive than before. The air intakes are also much larger than before, but also simpler, giving it both a more handsome and more aggressive look. Moving to the back, the only real difference between the 3 Series Touring LCI and the outgoing pre-LCI car is the pseudo diffuser in the rear bumper.
iDrive 8 and Curved Display
There are some significant changes inside, too. The 3 Series Touring LCI gets BMW’s latest iDrive 8 system, which comes with a dual-screen setup that also includes its digital gauge screen. The only other noteworthy difference inside the 3 Series Touring LCI is its shift lever. Rather than the old robot-leg shifter of the pre-LCI car, this updated 3er gets the same toggle switch shifter as the BMW iX.
Four-Cylinder Diesel
Being the 2023 BMW 320d Touring model, it uses a highly efficient turbocharged diesel engine. A 2.0-liter turbo-four with 190 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, to be exact. That engine gets paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox which, in this case, sends power to only the rear wheels. That not only makes it efficient but also fun, as the lighter-weight engine gives up front and rear-drive layout makes it feel more balanced through corners. So it’s a proper sports wagon, while also being great on fuel.
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