Dynamic, versatile, elegant: The New BMW 3 Series Touring

The new BMW 3 Series Touring will be making its public debut at the
Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2005. Offering a modern concept
throughout, with exceptional harmony of elegance, dynamism, and
sportiness, the new 3 Series Touring comes additionally with a supreme
standard of flexibility and variability. And with sales starting on 17
September 2005, the new BMW 3 Series Touring is continuing a highly
successful tradition in the fourth generation of this unique model.
Efficient Dynamics. Like the BMW 3 Series Saloon, the Touring also comes
with a range of new engines developing even more power and performance
than their predecessors but nevertheless even more economical in terms
of fuel efficiency. The BMW 325i Touring featuring BMW's new
straight-six power unit bears out this superiority with truly
impressive facts and figures: Maximum output of 160 kW (218 bhp) at
6500 rpm, maximum torque of 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) from 2750 - 4250 rpm, top
speed of 243 km/h (151 mph), acceleration from 0 - 100 km/h in 7.2
seconds, and supreme flexibility borne out in the flow of power by
acceleration in fourth gear from 80 - 120 km/h in 7.9 seconds. And all
this comes on fuel consumption of just 8.6 litres/100 km (32.8 mpg Imp)
in the EU cycle. The reasons for this enhanced power and performance are
the straight-six engine offering 20 bhp more than before and a further
reduction in weight. Just one very convincing point is that the
three-litre power unit for the first time featuring a magnesium
crankcase, magnesium crankshaft bearings, and a magnesium cylinder head
cover all as standard, is the lightest six-cylinder in the world. The
BMW 320d Touring offers equally outstanding performance figures,
reaching a top speed of 223 km/h (138 mph) and accelerating from 0 -
100 km/h in 8.6 seconds. The interim sprint from 80 - 120 km/h in
fourth gear, in turn, comes in 7.1 seconds. The very popular
four-cylinder diesel featured in the BMW 320d Touring develops maximum
output of 120kW (163 bhp) at 4000 rpm, plus maximum torque of 340 Nm
(251 lb-ft) at 2000 rpm - and all this on fuel consumption of just 5.9
litres/100 km (47.9 mpg Imp) in the combined EU cycle as even more
impressive proof of BMW's Efficient Dynamics. A diesel particle filter
is incidentally available as an option. The new BMW 3 Series Touring
comes as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox and, as an option,
with six-speed automatic transmision. Benefitting from the additional
sixth gear with even closer gear increments and at the same time a
larger range of gear ratios between the lowest and the highest gear, the
driver is able to adjust the gearshift perfectly to the next level of
engine speed when shifting either up or down. This is a particular
advantage when setting off, with first gear being laid out for extra
torque and traction. Other Engines. The BMW 330i Touring, the BMW 320i
Touring, as well as the BMW 330d Touring will all be entering the
market in autumn 2005. Again, the engines' power and performance
figures are more than remarkable: BMW 330i Touring: 190 kW (258 bhp) at
6600 rpm, 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) between 2500 and 4000 rpm. BMW 320i
Touring: 110 kW (150 bhp) at 6200 rpm, 200 Nm (147 lb-ft) at 3600 rpm.
BMW 330d Touring: 170 kW (231 bhp) at 4000 rpm, 500 Nm (369 lb-ft)
between 1750 and 3000 rpm. Unique and Demanding in Design. For the
first time the fourth-generation BMW 3 Series Touring has been
developed as an entirely different and unique car parallel to the
Saloon. This is the key to the car's distinctive design giving the new
Touring not only a truly unique and very different "face" in
the world of motoring, but also a very sporting and attractive look
throughout. Coupé-Like, Sporting Silhouette. With the new
Touring being largely identical to the Saloon from the front all the
way to the A-pillar, the rear seat area as well as the luggage
compartment blend harmoniously with the overall style of the car's
sporting, almost coupé- like silhouette. Indeed, the decisive
aesthetic factor in this case is the side window areas: With the
roofline tapering down softly and smoothly to the inclined tailgate,
while the shoulder line moves up slightly, the window areas appear
small and compact, like in a coupé. The wide D-pillar, in turn,
guides your focus to the rear axle, clearly visualising the car's
rear-wheel drive in the process. Space Galore: The Touring is also
Bigger Inside. With the new 3 Series Touring being a typical BMW both in
its looks and performance - powerful, sporting, compact - it is equally
impressive in its space and roominess: Dimensions larger than before in
terms of length (4520 mm/178.0", +42 mm/1.65" more than the
former model), width (1817 mm/71.5", +78mm/3.07"), height
(1418 mm/55.8", +9 mm/0.35"), and wheelbase (2760
mm/108.7", +35 mm /1.38"), the occupants at both the front and
rear enjoy extra space and comfort on the road. At the same time the
luggage compartment is up in size by 25 litres to 460 litres or 16.1 cu
ft. And tilting down the rear-seat backrest split with a 60/40
subdivision, the Touring even offers 1385 litres of luggage space on
its almost totally flat loading floor. Innovative Equipment for even
Greater Practical Value. Even more important than the interior
dimensions alone are the many innovative items of equipment
significantly enhancing the everyday driving qualities and practical
benefits of the new Touring. The luggage compartment cover ensuring
extra privacy, for example, automatically moves up together with the
separately opening rear window in order to facilitate loading at the
rear. And BMW's decision to drop the usual spare wheel - the 3 Series
comes with puncture-proof runflat tyres - benefits both the weight of
the car now even lower than would otherwise be the case a well as the
loading capacity, with an additional storage box beneath the floor of
the luggage compartment. The luggage compartment floor section comes
as an option with two reversing sides, lashing points on one side
serving to securely fasten heavy goods, a plastic cover on the other
side to be placed on the panels and surfaces in the luggage compartment
to ensure efficient protection from, say, dirt and scratches. A
water-tight folding box beneath the floor of the luggage compartment
serves additionally to take along items such as wet boots without
getting anything dirty. Families will Really Enjoy the New BMW Touring.
BMW's great attention to detail also comes out clearly at the rear,
sunblinds on the rear side windows being just as unusal in this
category as separate rear-seat air conditioning. And for the first time
the 3 Series offers Isofix fastenings both on the front passenger's
seat as well as the two outer seats at the rear for optimum safety with
up to three children in the car. The airbags on the front passenger's
seat can naturally be deactivated, should the driver fasten a baby seat
against the direction of travel. Complete with Panorama Roof for a
Unique Open-Air Touring Experience. Not only practical benefits, but
also a wide range of creature comforts enhances the proverbial
versatility of the 3 Series Touring: The panorama roof, for example,
changes this estate car almost into a convertible. Half a metre longer
than a conventional sliding roof, the panorama roof lets in up to 60 per
cent more fresh air. Measuring 800 millimetres/31.5" in length and
745 millimetres/29.3" in width, the panorama offers almost the
same experience as driving in a convertible with the roof down.
Driving Pleasure and Safety of the Highest Standard. The BMW 3 Series
Touring naturally stands out not only through its superior everyday
motoring qualities. Rather, it is also a very dynamic car on the road
in every respect. Indeed, axle load distribution of almost 50:50, rear
wheel drive, a long wheelbase and short body overhangs both front and
rear are simply ideal for supreme agility and driving safety wherever
you go. A further point is that the double-joint aluminium front axle
newly developed for the 3 Series Saloon naturally offers an optimum
balance of driving dynamics and motoring comfort in the Touring, too.
The particular merits of this innovative axle design are superior
tracking stability and particularly low roll noise. Supreme agility and
dynamic handling, in turn, are also ensured by the five-arm rear axle
in lightweight steel design ensuring precise wheel guidance as well as
excellent roll comfort. Active Steering: Unique in this Class. The
six-cylinder models are also available as an option with BMW's Active
Steering for an even more direct transmission ratio at low speeds and
more indirect steering at high speeds, thus ideally solving the
conflict of interests of a conventional steering by bringing together
supreme agility, stability, and comfort all in one. And like on the BMW
3 Series Saloon, Active Steering has been enhanced also in the Touring
by two more important features: When applying the brakes on various
surfaces with different frictional coefficients, Active Steering
stabilises the car even faster and more precisely than a "normal
driver " ever could by actively intervening in the steering. When
the car oversteers, in turn, Active Steering automatically
countersteers, thus allowing the driver to manoeuvre his 3 Series
Touring more easily, safely, and with greater agility, intervention by
the brakes and engine power control being reduced accordingly.
Latest-Generation DSC. BMW's DSC Dynamic Stability Control featured here
in its latest generation also serves to ensure supreme safety on the
road. On the six-cylinder models DSC even comes with useful functions
such as dry-braking the brake discs on wet roads or brake standby by
pre-aligning the brake discs in preparation of their use. Indeed, the
system even prevents the car from rolling back when setting off on a
gradient and from diving when the driver applies the brakes in a slow
process of gradual deceleration.