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Photo: BMW
Performance wagons are a breed of workhorse that aims to appeal to almost all drivers. They’re zippy and agile, packing the athleticism almost on par with a sedan. At the same time, tons of extra room is spared for ferrying people or cargo around a la SUV (sports utility vehicle). BMW’s long-awaited M3 Touring delivers all that and more.
For starters, the German marque’s long-roof thoroughly earns its label as a go-fast wagon. Assuming you go for all the bells at whistles, the M3 touring tops out at a clean 280 kmh. It hefts a supercar-esque performance package complete with twin-turbo, 510hp powertrain and all-wheel-drive functionality. For motorsport junkies, there’s a rear-wheel drive mode for you. It also goes from standstill to 100kmh in an impressive 3.6 seconds. Roominess aside, you’ll be pleased that the Touring won’t drive anything like a sluggish family hauler.
Nor will it look like one too, since the wagon retains the same design language as other recent vehicles in the BMW M-family. Cue the massive side air intakes, extended side skirts and of course, giant kidney grilles.
Next up, we’ll take a look at the interior. You get the usual sport seats and curved infotainment screen in service of a performance-first driving experience. Or, again for those who fancy themselves motorsport enthusiasts, optional carbon bucket seats for the driver and front passenger. But like the regular series Touring, you get a full 500 litres of room. That’s no mean feat, considering there’s a larger exhaust back box and redesigned suspension to deal with.
Packed with thoughtful features for comfort and convenience
Photo: BMW
You still get to keep thoughtful storage niceties including an extra compartment under the boot floor, retractable magnetic rails and an opening rear window. Additionally, if you need more space, you can even fold away the seats to triple your capacity to a voluminous 1,500 litres.
The usual slew of standard BMW comfort features are present, too. These include tri-zone climate control, ambient lighting and an in-built GPS system. Not compromising safety and convenience, the M3 touring is equipped with parking and driving assistance systems as well.
The slick sports wagon seems to strike a nice balance between performance and comfort that’ll be sure to give BMW’s close competitors — the Audi RS4 comes to mind — a run for their money. Orders for the new vehicle starts from September this year ahead of a market launch. Meanwhile, production will start end-2022, at BMW’s group plant in Munich.
Read more at: BMW
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