BMW 3 Series Touring’s development moves to Nurburgring

-  The 3 Series Sedan will arrive in India sometime later in 2019. 

-   The new-gen 3 Series is expected to break cover next month at the Paris Motor Show. 

-   The estate version of the 3 was spotted testing at the Green Hell.

-   The G20 3 Series will move to the new CLAR platform which will make it lighter but maintain its driving dynamics.

BMW first officially teased the new-gen 3 Series undergoing dynamic testing at the Nurburgring last month. Now, our spy sleuths have spotted the Touring version of the seventh-gen 3 doing rounds of the Green Hell ahead of the official reveal. We suspect that the station wagon won’t debut at the Paris Motor Show in October alongside the sedan, but will arrive sometime next year instead.

The new-gen 3 will be based on the new underpinning, which it will share with the new crop of BMW. The CLAR platform debuted in the 7 Series and it also underpins the new 5 Series, new-gen X5 and M5. The new platform will help the 3 to lose a significant amount of weight over the previous car. Under the hood will be BMW’s most powerful four-cylinder petrol motor. The Euro6 compliant 2.0-litre motor will be mated to an eight-speed Steptronic unit. The Touring, on the other hand, will share the same powertrain but might use BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive layout. 

Appearance wise, we know the 3 Series Touring will look similar to the new 5 Series Touring. The new sleeker headlights will flank the restyled grille. At the rear, the newly designed tail lights will be similar to the 5. The cabin too is expected to be borrowed from its elder siblings. 

The new-gen 3 is expected to promptly make its way to India once it goes on sale in the international markets. Meanwhile, the Touring variant might not be in BMW’s India plan except, if we see a possible demand for practical station wagons in the country in the years to come.