GermanyBMW has taken a prototype of the i3 Touring to the Nurburgring, giving the first look at an all-electric wagon in the Neue Klasse i3 family. BMW has confirmed the model, which slots in beside the i3 sedan on the Neue Klasse platform as the more practical body style.
What the test car appears to be
The prototype is believed to run in i3 50 xDrive specification, though BMW has not confirmed the trim. If the wagon carries over the sedan’s hardware, it would pair two electric motors for all-wheel drive and about 463 hp (469 PS), drawing on a 108.7 kWh battery. Expected range is around 885 km WLTP, a little under the sedan’s 912 km figure to account for the taller body. Those numbers are estimates until BMW publishes the Touring’s own specification.
Charging
The Neue Klasse architecture supports DC fast charging up to 400 kW. On the i3 50 xDrive sedan, that takes the battery from 10 to 80 percent in about 21 minutes, and adds roughly 400 km of WLTP range in ten minutes. The Touring should share the same 800-volt system.
Design and production
The Touring mirrors the i3 sedan almost exactly up to the B-pillar, then adds an extended roofline and a more upright rear end for a larger load area. Production is set to run alongside the sedan at BMW’s Munich plant, which is being converted to build only electric vehicles. The i3 Touring is expected to reach the market in 2027.
