Production Models

Earlier this year Asia Car Distributors Corp, official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, brought in touring car variants of the 3-series - the 318i Touring, the M340i xDrive Touring, and the M3 Touring.

Touring cars, essentially a five-door station wagon in old auto speak, are designed to offer functionality, comfort and performance with lots of room for four or five, and tons of room for luggage.

And in the case of the German brand's touring cars, a sense of style that is unmistakably BMW.

This is especially true of the BMW 318i Touring, the most affordable of the trio of 3 Series touring cars brought in by Asia Car.

It's a longish automobile at 4,173 millimeters long, wide at 1,827mm wide and just 1,440mm at its highest point.

It comes with a 2,851mm-long wheelbase and just clears the ground by 141mm.

As such, the BMW 318i Touring looks long and sleek, elegant yet sporty, with the M High-gloss Shadow line and Exterior Line Satin Aluminum trim, and aluminum patinated roof rails.

The BMW kidney grille with the vertical air curtains and twin circular full-LED headlights has been redesigned to give it a more powerful appearance, complemented by the large hexagonal air inlet.

The long wheelbase, short overhangs, and the dynamic Hofmeister kink (the C-pillar angling forward at the base) enhances the athletic character of BMW 318i Touring.

The double-spoke style 18-inch light alloy wheels complete the look.

BMW eschews the trend for fancy, busy, angular rear combination lights and accents, preferring the simple classic look that would age well.

The cabin of the BMW 318i Touring is quite roomy with well-bolstered sport seats for both driver and front passenger. The front seats are electrically adjustable.

It's also quite roomy for three in the back on seats with Perforated Sensatec upholstery that looks and feels rich.

The rear seat backrest splits and fold 40:20:40 to provide flexibility for luggage and other cargo. With the backrest upright, cargo capacity is placed at 500 liters. When folded, cargo space increases to 1,510 liters.

The luggage area features a roller cover and partition net which can conveniently bestowed under the luggage compartment floor.

Innovative anti-slip rails on the floor allow luggage to be stowed securely.

The interior boasts soft surfaces on doors and dash.

Looking both premium and modern are what BMW describes as Aluminum Mesh effect accent and trim.

BMW has integrated and reduced the number of the controls for operating the 318i Touring.

The curved, slim and frameless BMW Widescreen Display atop the dash integrates both the 12.3-inch information display behind the steering wheel and the 14.9-inch touchscreen for infotainment and Smart connectivity.

This runs on BMW Operating System 8 which offers many more options for drivers to enjoy easy, intuitive, multimodal control of vehicle, navigation, infotainment, and communication functions.

Some of these functions can be controlled via the buttons on the steering wheel or the BMW Intelligent Voice Assistant, much like using Siri or Alexa.

At the same time, between the driver and front passenger seat is the center console island where one finds, among other things, the BMW iDrive controller, the electronic parking brake, the electronic gear selector, a wireless charging tray, a wide armrest.

The system also optimizes wireless smartphone integration of both Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. It also comes with Aux and USB portal as well as Bluetooth.

The BMW 318i Touring also comes with a three-zone automatic climate control system that can be adjusted conveniently through voice commands or touch control on the control display.

The audio uses the BMW HiFi Loudspeaker system.

Other additions to the BMW 3 Series Touring variants include an automatically dimming rear-view mirror, the extended storage package, and Park Distance Control (PDC) with sensors at the front and rear.

Also adding to comfort and convenience are keyless entry and push button start, power lift gate, power windows and power outlets.

BMWs have a reputation for providing sheer driving pleasure. And the BMW 318i doesn't disappoint on that count.

The BMW 318i Touring is powered by an in-line 4-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine that produces 156 hp and 250 Nm of torque.

This is mated to an 8-speed Steptronic transmission with gearshift paddles.

The power numbers may not overwhelm. But there is no sense that the BMW 318i is underpowered for a Bimmer.

The Bimmer feels quite responsive even at low revs. Acceleration is always smooth.

Electro servo support makes for effortless steering at lower speeds while helping with stability at higher speeds.

Ride and handling is biased toward fun driving in a rear wheel drive car.

But ride comfort is not ignored. Neither is safety as the new BMW 3 Series Touring comes with a range of safety and driver assistance systems.

These include Anti-Lock Brake System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Stability Control, Auto Brake System, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection, and Cruise Control.

Ultrasonic and radar sensors, along with camera images, are utilized to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle and alert the driver of potential hazards, minimize accident risks with steering and braking inputs, and perform automated parking and other maneuvers.

Quite helpful is the Parking Assistant that helps the driver to select and park in spaces either parallel or perpendicular to the road. This comes with a Reversing Assist Camera, the Lateral Parking Aid and the Active PDC, which uses brake inputs to reduce the risk of collisions. Its range of functions also includes the Reversing Assistant, which reverses the car for distances of up to 50 meters along the same line it took when moving forward.

Also added for safety and security are dual airbags, side and curtain airbags, speed-sensing door locks, and Isofix.

The new 318i Touring is listed at 3.89 million pesos.

Is there still a market for Touring cars? Apparently BMW Philippines believes there is. Perhaps this market is for people who want to be different and standout in a way on local roads for BMW 3-Series touring car.