SOMETHING OLD, something new.
SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp., official local purveyor of BMW in the country, has brought back an iconic (and surely beloved) automobile category through its similarly storied line.
The 3 Series family now grows with the addition of three Touring models. “Touring” is BMW’s parlance for the classic estate or station wagon format, which once represented the summit of practicality and style before sport utility vehicles dominated practically all automotive price points.
“This is for people who want to be different,” said BMW Philippines President Spencer Yu to “Velocity” at the recent launch event. “In a day and age dominated by SUVs, this is something that’s refreshing to see. It’s a car that has the cargo capability, the usability of a touring model while maintaining the driving dynamics of a 3 Series sedan… I guess it’s for somebody who wants to make a statement, be stylish. It’s also basically for people who also know what this is all about.”
To a previous generation of carbuyers, the station wagon is surely remembered as a “daddy car,” the quintessential family car with the ability to ferry both people and a fair amount of cargo.
So that’s where we start with the BMW 3 Series Touring. That cargo hold behind the second-row passengers offers a generous 500 liters of space — fitted with a removable roller tonneau cover promising privacy and more secure stowage. This capacity can be upped to 1,510 liters with the 40:20:40 rear seat backrest folded. For added convenience, a separate luggage compartment window can be used to access or put in smaller objects without having to open the rear hatch.
But this is no ordinary estate, of course. It’s a BMW. The BMW 318i Touring (retailing for P3.89 million) and M340i xDrive Touring (P5.89 million) don the marque’s signature kidney grille — given a “more powerful appearance” through new double bars and slightly altered contours. Full-LED headlights are affixed to the BMW 318i Touring; the BMW M340i xDrive Touring gets adaptive LEDs and boasts additional functionalities such as a cornering light, non-dazzling matrix high beam, dynamic headlight range control, and variable light distribution. Air intakes under the grille of both variants are finished in high-gloss black.
The more premium M340i xDrive Touring receives the M Sport Package Pro; the 318i Touring is given the Exterior Line Satin Aluminum trim. Roof rails are standard on both, albeit with different treatments. The 318i Touring rolls with double-spoke style 18-inchers, while the M340i xDrive Touring has double-spoke M light-alloy bi-color 19-inch wheels with M Sport brakes in red high-gloss hue.
The cabin interior of the 318i is appointed with an aluminum “Mesheffect,” and the M340i xDrive Touring comes with M interior trim finishers in carbon fiber. Both have sport seats wrapped in Sensatec synthetic leather for the driver and front passenger.
A three-zone automatic climate control can be adjusted through voice commands or touch through the control display. Analog gauges give way to digital ones through the free-standing, high-resolution BMW Widescreen Display which combines a 14.9-inch control display and 12.3-inch information cluster, running on the latest BMW Operating System 8. Both its Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are wireless-capable in all variants. Speaking of, a wireless charging tray is located in the center control island. Audio content is enjoyed on the BMW HiFi Loudspeaker system for the 318i Touring; the M340i xDrive Touring features a Harman Kardon Surround Sound system.
The line’s cache of safety and convenience features include an automated parking system, ultrasonic and radar sensors, Parking Assistant (which helps the driver to select and park in spaces parallel or perpendicular to the road), Reversing Assist Camera, Lateral Parking Aid and Active PDC (which uses brake inputs to reduce the risk of collisions), and Reversing Assistant (which reverses the car for distances of up to 50 meters along the same line it took when moving forward).
Powering the 3 Series Touring, reports BMW, are “highly efficient petrol engines.” In the 3 Series Touring, it’s an inline four-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine good for 156hp and 250Nm. This is paired to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission with gearshift paddles. Under the hood of the M340i xDrive Touring is an M TwinPower Turbo Petrol mill outputting 374hp and 500Nm of torque. It is mated with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, which can sprint the vehicle from a standstill to 100kph in 4.6 seconds.
The highlight of the model line’s launch is undoubtedly the M3 Competition xDrive Touring — the first Touring model coming out of BMW’s M division. This melds two seemingly dichotomous tenets (practicality and sportiness) in a compelling package of performance.
At first glance, the vehicle, priced at P10.49 million, is immediately distinguishable through its “flared nostrils” or, more correctly, a vertically oriented kidney grille — along with larger side air intakes, muscular wheel arches, extended side skirts, an M high-gloss Shadowline trim, M roof rails with high-gloss Shadowline finish, and an air-directing flap incorporated into the roof spoiler. These represent the sportier intent.
The not-so-secret sauce that enables performance is what rumbles under the hood — an inline six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology “developed for the Competition models in the BMW M3/M4 lineup.” The mill submits 510hp and 650Nm, and BMW says the cooling and oil supply systems “are designed to handle extremely high longitudinal and lateral dynamic forces on the track. And the M-specific exhaust system with electrically controlled flaps generates an emotionally arresting soundtrack that brings an extra layer to the performance experience.”
The M3 Competition xDrive Touring employs a “finely tuned” chassis to “strike a balance between sporty driving and comfort for everyday and long-distance journeys.”
Among other highlights are an adaptive M suspension, Servotronic steering, and integrated braking system featuring M Compound brakes in high-gloss red. It gets mixed-size (19 and 20 inches) M light-alloy wheels. A Dynamic Stability Control system includes wheel slip limitation, and the car has M Dynamic Mode and M Traction Control. In 2WD mode, the driver can adjust wheel slip limitation for precise handling when cornering on the track.
Inside, the information display flashes driving stats with new graphics and in an M-specific style. The control display accommodates M-specific widgets, and affords setup control for the engine, chassis, steering, braking system, and M xDrive settings, and an M Mode button adjusts driver assistance system responses and display content, with Road, Sport, and Track settings.
The last Touring model of BMW in the Philippines was rolled out in 2006 or 2007, recalled Mr. Yu, and expressed excitement about how the trio will now “provide a stylish alternative in the 3 Series.”
