BMW 3 Series Touring 320d xDrive M Sport 2019 UK first drive

This is the estate version of our favourite compact saloon, equipped with what will likely be the sweet spot for the engine line-up here in the UK. 

The turbocharged, four-cylinder 320d has already proved as such in the four-door 3 Series, having been labelled the pick of the range for the vast majority of drivers when we road tested that car earlier in the year. Diesel might be increasingly vilified elsewhere in the industry, but its combination of performance, refinement and frugality is still tough to beat in the compact executive sector.

It should prove equally appealing in the more practical Touring, which will likely be tasked with more four-up family holidays, recycling centre visits and towing duties than the saloon ever will. Stowage capacity has grown slightly to 500 litres from the outgoing model's 495, while a widened tailgate, lower lip and electrically folding rear bench make loading far more convenient. Flatten the rear seats and there’s 1510 litres of room, which can only be beaten by Skoda’s Skoda Superb Estate. 

Tested here in M Sport trim, which BMW expects the majority of Touring customers to opt for, our car rides on 18in wheels and passive M Sport suspension. It also benefits from xDrive four-wheel drive, but does without the sport brakes and active differential seen on the more potent 330d we drove recently.

The car is as well-rounded as you’d expect, with a diesel turbo four-pot that’s perfectly responsive, even if the Touring’s extra weight has a negative impact on performance. The saloon’s sub-seven-second 0-60mph sprint is unachievable here, but only by a few tenths.

The four-cylinder isn’t quite as eager to rev as the six-cylinder 330d, but feels more restrained in stop-start traffic, where it’s less eager to lurch forward with only a feather of the throttle. It’s also more likely to return better fuel economy - we saw a touring average nudging 50mpg with very little effort.

The Touring’s cabin has been modernised in line with the saloon, with material quality taking a welcome step up to better compete with rivals. The mix of metal and carbon-effect plastics is perhaps more sterile than the wood-style trim seen on a C-Class Estate, but BMW’s ambient lighting adds an element of drama.

Technology is now on par with the rest of the class, too, even if the inclusion of Apple CarPlay only comes free for the first year before defaulting to an annual membership plan. Android Auto is missing altogether, although BMW does plan to introduce it to the range in the future. Some may be happy to learn the dash-mounted infotainment display is now touch-sensitive; that the iDrive rotary controller makes a return will please others.