The Touring matches the saloon in every major dimension, which means the wheelbase extends by 35mm and the height around 10mm over the previous estate. The result is the first 3-series estate that you’d contemplate carrying five adults in.
Open the boot – either by lifting the glass or the entire tailgate – and you’re presented with a thoughtfully designed load bay. The tailgate is widest at the bottom and extends into a useful cutaway in the bumper to reduce the loading height. The space needed to house independent rear suspension still necessitates strut towers that intrude into the storage space, but boot width now matches that of others in the class.
Despite the slight frustration that the rear seats don’t fold completely flat (they rest on the fixed seat bases at a slight angle instead), the resulting 1384 litres of space is more than you’ll find in either a Mercedes
C-class estate or Audi A4 Avant.
Move beyond volume measurements and start examining day-to-day practicalities and the Touring picks up more points. Useful touches abound – four tie-down loops, two
fold-away shopping-bag hooks and an elasticated band for bottles – but it is the attention to detail that really stands out.
Take the luggage cover, for example. Open the tailgate or rear window and the cover automatically springs upwards to improve access. Should you need to remove the cover housing (also home for the extendable luggage net) the unit is easily unlatched, taken out and replaced.
An optional storage package adds a dividable compartment to fill the space under the boot floor, a reversible floor liner (carpet on one side, washable material on the other) and a fold-out waterproof box. Sensible thinking and fair value at £160.
