BMW M3 Touring priced, in Australia early 2023

The first BMW M3 Touring wagon will be priced from $177,500 before on-road costs when it hits the market in early 2023, primed to challenge the Audi RS4.

Fresh from its recent Goodwood premiere after being announced in 2020, BMW’s über wagon becomes the fourth body type in the M3/M4 family.

As we’ve come to expect from BWM Australia, the M3 Touring will be offered only in harder-core Competition guise, with xDrive all-wheel drive.

BMW M3 Touring priced, in Australia early 2023

The price makes it $8000 more expensive than the current M3 Competition xDrive sedan, and $21,300 more than the Audi RS4 ($156,200).

Power comes from a 375kW and 650Nm 3.0-litre M TwinPower turbo inline-six using an M-specific exhaust with movable flaps, mated to an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic and variable (but rear-biased) AWD with a rear diff.

Acceleration from zero to 100km/h takes 3.6 seconds, one-tenth slower than the marginally lighter sedan.

Separate to the sedan, the M3 Touring development program included tuning at BMW Group’s Miramas facility in the south of France; winter testing in Arjeplog, Sweden; and obviously high speed work at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Dynamically, BMW claims the chassis tuning creates “an ideal balance of sports performance and smooth ride comfort in everyday use and over longer-distance journeys”.

The M3 Touring has more stiffening struts at the rear axle; new spring, damper and anti-roll bar setups both front and rear; and specific tuning for suspension, steering, and ESP systems.

The adaptive M suspension uses electronically controlled shocks, while the M Servotronic steering has a variable ratio.

The braking system offers two settings for pedal feel, and optional M Carbon ceramic brakes can be ordered. A range of forged M light-alloy wheel designs – 19-inch for the front and 20-inch for the rear – are standard equipment.

The interior brings the latest BMW operating system 8.0, with a 12.3 digital cluster and 14.9-inch central touchscreen positioned behind one piece of glass, angled to the driver.

Electrically adjustable M Sport seats with memory and heating, plus ‘Merino’ leather trim, come standard. Optional M Carbon bucket seats cut about 10kg in overall weight.

Practicality-wise, the rear-seat backrest can be split in a 40:20:40 arrangement. Folding down individual seat sections or all of them at the same time allows the car’s load capacity to expand from 500 litres to a maximum 1510L.

Automatic tailgate operation and the separately opening rear window are both standard, while a storage compartment underneath the boot floor provides space for the luggage compartment cover and boot partition net.

Anti-slip rails that rise automatically from the boot floor to prevent items of luggage from sliding around in faster driving are also standard.

Australia continues to be among the world’s best-performing markets for BMW M, with one in five BMWs registered here wearing the M badge.

More than 600 examples of the latest generation BMW M3 Sedan have been registered locally over the past year – putting it at the top of the sales charts for BMW M in Australia.