- The BMW i3 Touring will initially hit the market with a pair of electric motors.
- BMW’s sleek and practical electric estate will support 400 kW DC fast charging.
- Like the sedan, the i3 Touring will have a driving range exceeding 500 miles.
It seems as though a new, all-electric crossover or SUV is unveiled every week, and although there are plenty of appealing ones on the market, they’re all a little too similar. BMW’s upcoming i3 Touring is shaping up to be the perfect antidote to them and may sway some buyers out of an iX3.
Moments after BMW unveiled the all-new i3 sedan earlier this year, it confirmed an estate version was just around the corner. While vehicles like this aren’t as popular as they once were, primarily because most shoppers would rather have a high-riding SUV, BMW has clearly decided there will be enough demand for an i3 Touring to justify its development.
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Recently, a lightly camouflaged prototype was snapped testing at the Nürburgring, and it looks like quite a tantalizing prospect. Painted in a lovely shade of silver and sporting camouflage only on the front, rear, and side mirrors, the car retains most of the same sleek styling as the sedan, albeit in a slightly lengthened form.
Dual-Motor Power
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It’s unclear which specific variant and trim level we’re looking at, but it’s likely a tester for the i3 Touring 50 xDrive, the only version BMW has confirmed at this stage. As such, it should sport a pair of electric motors with 463 hp, which is only 17 hp less than a standard BMW M3.
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Underpinning the i3 Touring is BMW’s Neue Klasse platform, shared with other new models like the second-gen iX3 and the new i3 sedan. It includes the brand’s sixth-generation motors and batteries, and in the 50 xDrive configuration, should sport a 108.7 kWh battery with cylindrical cells. For a vehicle of this size, this is a sizeable pack, and should help it achieve a WLTP driving range of around 550 miles (885 km), more than enough for long European road trips where this model should prove popular.
Further adding to the practicality of the new i3 Touring will be its support for DC charging speeds of up to 400 kW, meaning the battery can be charged from 10-80 percent in roughly 21 minutes. AC charging will also be rated at 22 kW, allowing for relatively quick charging at home, too.
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