Press Release
Page 5 - Body & Luggage Compartment
Design
Perfect Rendition of Dynamics, Agility and Versatility
- Sporting and dynamic despite the car??????????????????????????????????????s functional orientation.
- Perfect symbiosis of classic and modern design themes.
- Wide range of materials and colours for maximum customisation
Agility and dynamics on the one hand, function and variability on the other ??????????????????????????????????????? the attributes of the BMW 3 Series Touring, through their dif????????????????????ferent orientation, give the designer a particular challenge. Especially as the 3 Series Touring is to look unique while nevertheless fitting in????????????????????to the typical appearance of BMW??????????????????????????????????????s current model range.
As a result of all these challenges, the 3 Series Touring is an authen????????????????????tic product, a genuine personality visualising the modern, active life????????????????????style of its customers.
The history of BMW 3 Series Touring is characterised by a succession of small and big leaps, the car developing sometimes quite discreetly in its styling, in other cases much more clearly and conspicuously.
From this perspective, the new 3 Series Touring represents a quan????????????????????tum leap in its design language. While, in its proportions, it is only mod????????????????????erately larger than its predecessor, the surface design is quite different thanks to the consistent change and interaction of convex and concave surfaces with striking light and shadow lines. In their clear three-dimensional look, the front of the car, the sides and the rear blend to form one flowing unit, the Touring thus standing out clearly from its predecessor.
More sporting than the 5 Series Touring. More elegant than the Z4 and 1 Series.
Through its proportions and surface language, the 3 Series Touring looks more agile and sporting at first sight than the BMW 5 Series Touring. And through the more discreet design of the car??????????????????????????????????????s convex and concave surfaces, it is at the same time more elegant than the BMW Z4 or the BMW 1 Series.
Although its concept is similar in terms of functionality, the 3 Series Touring also stands out clearly from the BMW X3: While the X3, through the typical proportions of a BMW SAV as well as striking lines and surfaces, clearly expresses its ability to cope with any kind of terrain, the 3 Series Touring, through its flowing and dynamic shapes, provides a perfect balance of functional qualities and sporting elegance in a symbiosis never seen before.
The fourth generation of the BMW 3 Series Touring is continuing the tradition of BMW design with its classic themes, at the same time es????????????????????tablishing a link to the future through the modern interpretation of these classic features. And despite its functional orientation, the new 3 Series Touring provides a unique interpretation of typical BMW qual????????????????????????????????????????ities in terms of the car??????????????????????????????????????s proportions, surfaces and details, thus bearing out pure driving pleasure and joy of life in every respect.
Ultimately, therefore, the 3 Series Touring stands out as a genuine BMW with a long engine compartment lid, short overhangs and the centrepoint of the cabin moved far to the rear relative to the car??????????????????????????????????????s wheelbase, thus authentically visualising the combination of a straight-six power unit and rear-wheel drive.
The design of the large rear window area is crucial to the aesthetic appearance and impression of every estate. Precisely this is why the roofline of the Touring tapers down smoothly to the tailgate, while the shoulder line of the car rises up slowly. The ???????????????????????????????????Hofmeister kick???????????????????????????????? at the bottom of the D-pillar provides a clear visual link between these two lines full of tension and excitement, which, at least geometrically, merge far behind the car, guiding your eye to a seemingly endless point in an endless line of vision. Clearly, this interprets the dynamics of the car in a very special, integrative manner, the roof spoiler opti????????????????????mis????????????????????ing the car??????????????????????????????????????s aerodynamics and extending the roofline in its excit????????????????????ing perspective.
From the side: perfect interplay of distinctive and subordinate lines and surfaces.
The side view of the car is dominated by the interplay of character lines ??????????????????????????????????????? some truly striking, others more subordinate in their look. Three strik????????????????????ing lines stand out in particular: The fine, action-packed shoulder line, for example, sets a striking counter point to the comparatively large, dominating side surfaces. Extending from the front lights, the shoulder line moves to the back beneath the car??????????????????????????????????????s cabin as a precise light edge extending all round the rear. This fine line literally ???????????????????????????????????stretches???????????????????????????????? the car, interrupting the surface be????????????????????neath the D-pillar by making the entire area look smaller and more compact.
The second character line boasted on the Touring is the dividing line typical of every BMW and featured here in a new, very three-dimen????????????????????sional interpretation. This line rises powerfully from the muscular front wing all the way to the rear lights, where it merges into the sur????????????????????rounding surfaces, emanating a feeling of dynamism, lightness and power.
The third character line in the side sills starts at the front wheels and moves up dynamically until merging into the areas upfront of the rear wheels. This line adds a particularly sporting effect.
From the front: a face full of agility and awareness.
The typical face of the Touring so characteristic of BMW boasts the usual double kidney grille as well as dual round headlights bordering at the top on the flowing front lines of the engine compartment lid. The width of the car, in turn, is accentuated by the direction indica????????????????????tors wrapped around the side areas, creating a clear expression of focus as an equally clear sign of agility and awareness.
Another characteristic feature at the front is the striking powerdome. Forming part of a closed, self-contained sculpture rising up from deep within the bumper, the powerdome flows into the A-pillars and rooflines, ultimately extending all the way to the rear. It also forms a frame for the dynamic and elegant double kidney grille, with striking chrome surfaces giving the sporting front end a particularly elegant touch. And to provide the final highlight in flair and style, the slats on the double kidney grille are chrome-plated on the six-cylinder mo????????????????????dels.
From behind: dynamic looks despite the large tailgate.
The rear end of the new 3 Series Touring bears out two features in particular through its unique design: First, the large luggage com????????????????????part????????????????????ment with ample capacity together with easy access from the rear; second, that dynamism so typical of BMW.
The large window areas bordering on to slender pillars give the new BMW 3 Series Touring a feeling of genuine lightness also from be????????????????????hind. Through the consistent interplay of light and darker areas created by the convex and concave design, the car is split up into several horizontal areas and lines making the rear end particularly wide and low-slung in its appearance.
Another highlight from behind is the re-interpreted L-shape of the rear lights clearly boasting the inner graphics of the light units them????????????????????selves as a particularly interesting eye-catcher from outside.
To provide a wide opening at the rear, the inner half of each rear light cluster is integrated into the tailgate itself. And to keep the loading sill as low as possible, the rear bumper has been cut out at the top for direct and convenient access.
The interior: clearly oriented towards active motoring.
Reflecting the exterior design of the new 3 Series Touring, the interior is modern and harmonious, creating a genuine emotional touch. Char????????????????????acterised by convex and concave surfaces, the guiding theme of a ???????????????????????????????????revolving ribbon or tape???????????????????????????????? continues throughout all areas and sur????????????????????faces, giving the interior an ambience of controlled dynamism and lightness. At the end of the day, therefore, the new 3 Series Touring combines two characters in one: that of the sporting driving machine and that of the comfortable midrange estate.
Through its clearly horizontal focus, the instrument panel generates a generous feeling of space, placing the emphasis on active motor????????????????????ing: The upper area faces towards the driver and tapers out towards the front-seat passenger. The secondary controls and display are slightly oriented towards the driver, the gearshift lever facing the driver thanks to the distinctive contours and flowing design of the centre console extending beneath the instrument panel almost ap????????????????????pearing to hover in space thanks to the contrast of light and shadow. All the lines and surfaces in the doors and centre console, finally, flow dynamically in the car??????????????????????????????????????s direction of travel.
Whenever the customer opts for BMW??????????????????????????????????????s navigation system, the inte????????????????????rior stands out in particular through the iDrive Controller and the Con????????????????????trol Display beneath the second dashboard binnacle as a clear sign of distinction versus the ???????????????????????????????????basic???????????????????????????????? model.
With this version of the cockpit, the driver benefits in full from the ergonomic perfection of all control and display functions facing his way, while all information and comfort functions are also easily ac????????????????????cessible to and in the direct line of vision of the front passenger.
Cockpit designed for genuine motoring in real style.
The customer will immediately feel and sense the intense experience of driving a BMW 3 Series through the optimum structure and layout of the cockpit alone: The classic, easy-to-read circular instruments symbolise precisely the unique driving pleasure so typical of BMW ??????????????????????????????????????? driving pleasure creating that unique relationship of man and ma????????????????????chine.
Reflecting that typical BMW style, all functions required for motoring are integrated either in the steering wheel itself or directly around the steering wheel. The most important driving and comfort information is therefore presented directly in the driver??????????????????????????????????????s field of vision. The cen????????????????????tral comfort zone,
by contrast, also offers the front passenger opti????????????????????mum access to all comfort functions. And to calm down the interior in visual terms, the number of switches and buttons has been drasti????????????????????cally reduced.
Versatility also in terms of materials and colours.
The versatile character of the 3 Series Touring is also borne out by the car??????????????????????????????????????s concept of colours and materials, the perfect balance and value of the colours, materials and designs highlighting the exclusive and aesthetic look so typical of the 3 Series.
Important styling features are the surfaces of the dashboard, on the centre console and in the doors, with their natural grain as well as the even finer grain of the injection-moulded plastic components.
Unbelievable diversity: 624 different colour variants.
Interior and exterior colours as well as seat materials developed es????????????????????pe????????????????????cially for the BMW 3 Series clearly distinguish the new Touring within the BMW family. In all, the unusually wide choice of colours and materials gives the customer supreme freedom in choosing his ??????????????????????????????????????? or her ??????????????????????????????????????? personal style in the 3 Series Touring. No less than four different interior concepts (fabric, leatherette, fabric/leather, leather all round) with numerous combinations made possible by 12 exterior colours, three interior world colours (Black, Grey, Beige), 8 trim col????????????????????ours (Anthracite, Grey, Beige, Black, Quartz Grey, Blue, Terra, Lemon), and four different trim materials (burr walnut, grained poplar, titanium matt, aluminium with a fine longitudinal finish) add up to pro????????????????????vide no less
than 624 different colour variants, 472 of which are recommended by BMW designers.
All exterior colours blend harmoniously with the corresponding in????????????????????terior colours. Through their particular shade and effect, they offer a particularly sporting (Black II, Titanium Silver Metallic, Japan Red, Mystic Blue Metallic), a modern (Arctic Metallic, Sparkling Graphite Metallic, Barrique Red Metallic, Sonora Metallic), or elegant touch (Monaco Blue Metallic, Deep Green Metallic, Black Sapphire Metal????????????????????lic, Alpine White III).
