BMW 3 Series wagon fans excited, but US future unclear

BMW Announces 3 Series Touring, But Will It Reach the U.S.?

Wagon enthusiasts have reason to celebrate as BMW has officially confirmed that it will produce a Touring version of the upcoming 3 Series sedan. However, whether this model will make its way to the U.S. market remains uncertain.

During the world premiere event of the all-electric 2027 BMW i3 in Munich, Germany, BMW Group chairman and CEO Oliver Zipse made a final announcement before leaving the stage. “Here on stage today is just one variant of the BMW 3 Series,” he said. “The 3 Series has always been about much more than a sedan. I don’t want to reveal everything today, but there’s one model I’m happy to confirm: the BMW 3 Series Touring.”

Although no clear images of the car were shown during the event, a digital outline appeared on the screen behind Zipse, displaying a wagon-like silhouette. The current 3 Series Touring is pictured above, with the outlines of the new car shown below.

Zipse did not provide details about the powertrain options for the newly announced 3 Series Touring, and neither did senior vice president of BMW brand and product management Bernd Koerber during a roundtable discussion following the announcement. However, Koerber suggested that wagon versions of all 3 Series powertrains could be possible.

Speaking generally, Koerber said, “There’s hardly anything in [our] pipeline [that’s] one variant only. The more defining factor is where is that car relevant in terms of geography, and then what’s the right powertrain for that. Then we take out of the toolbox what we need.”

When asked if the U.S. market could expect a new 3 Series wagon, Koerber indicated that the company is considering including the country in its sales plans. “There is a chance. We had Touring discussions with our product council in the U.S. for a very long time, and we were very much positively surprised about the 5 Series Touring,” Koerber said, referencing the popularity of the BMW M5 Touring. “It looks like Touring is becoming a lifestyle thing and [we’re] happy to develop on that.”

Jendela Magazine asked if there was anything the U.S. buying public could do to further convince BMW to send 3 Series wagons our way. Petitions? Instagram direct messages? Letters?

“No, no more need,” Koerber said. “We get enough emails and letters on the topic. We know.”

While the conversation was lighthearted, it seems the most likely scenario for a long-roofed 3 Series in the U.S. would come in the form of an M3 Touring.

“The reasons for buying a Touring in the U.S. is totally different. It’s purely the shape,” Koerber said. “Whereas in Europe, you have the combination of shape, long-distance traveling. That’s the typical Touring. It’s the functionality aspect of it, which you don’t have. For the U.S., I would always focus on high performance. I would always link the Touring with high performance. And this combination seems to work from a lifestyle perspective. Unique shape, high performance seems to be a good mix.”

This outcome is not entirely unexpected for wagon enthusiasts. Mercedes and Audi remain the only automakers still selling non-performance wagons. Other models, such as the Buick Regal TourX and Volvo V90 and V60, have been discontinued. The Subaru Outback is now bigger and taller, closer to an SUV than a traditional wagon.

The remaining wagons are of the AMG, M, and RS performance flavors, as enthusiasts tend to be a self-selecting group. Most other consumers opt for SUVs instead.

The last non-M 3 Series wagon BMW offered in the U.S. was the F31-generation 330i xDrive Sport Wagon. While the company has never exported an M3 wagon to the U.S. before, there have been past rumors about it. Although it’s unlikely that mainstream 3 Series models will be available as wagons, BMW could use the newly acquired M5 Touring market research to send an M3 Touring our way. That would still be a welcome development for many.