The next-generation BMW 3 Series is set to introduce an electric version that will revive the i3 nameplate, and it will be available in Touring estate form. The eighth generation of the 3 Series, due on sale next year, will be offered with both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle (EV) powertrains. The new model will feature a completely restyled design based on a new, EV-first architecture.
BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk has confirmed that estates remain a crucial part of the brand’s market share and reputation. In an interview with Autocar, he stated, “I think the ‘touring’ [estate] is making a comeback.” Van Hooydonk highlighted the popularity of the M3 Touring and M5 Touring models, even in markets where estates are not traditionally favored.
The decision to revive the Touring variant comes after a series of concept cars previewed the new 3 Series design and technology. Although these concepts, including Vision Dee, Neue Klasse, and Vision Dynamic Experience, were all saloons, van Hooydonk’s comments strongly suggest that an estate version will follow shortly after the saloon’s reveal early next year.
BMW’s product boss Bernd Koerber has officially confirmed that the company will continue to use ‘i’ badging for electric cars. This means the electric 3 Series will adopt the i3 name, which has been dormant since the production of the carbonfiber-bodied hatchback ended in 2022. Koerber emphasized the importance of differentiating between ICE and EV models in BMW’s naming strategy while maintaining a ‘technology-open’ approach that ensures both types of vehicles look similar and share numbering.
“With the choice of drivetrain, you don’t make a decision on design, you don’t make a decision on digital or ADAS capabilities, but you choose a drivetrain, and basically the cars look the same,” Koerber explained. “That’s the core philosophy. So why should we name an EV car differently? That would be against our philosophy of what it means to be technology-open.”
