After years of waiting, BMW’s ‘G81’ M3 Touring will go on sale locally in Australia between January and March of 2023, but the all-important question of price still remains.
Official details aren’t likely to be shared for months but pricing released in the UK this week gives us a good indication of how much Aussies should expect to fork out.
BMW has now released pricing for the M3 Touring in the UK
The M3 Touring will be sold exclusively in Competition xDrive guise worldwide, with UK pricing starting at GBP 80,550 before on-road costs.
Pricing for the M3 Competition xDrive Saloon starts at GBP 78,050 before on-road costs, marking an increase of GBP 2500 or 3.1 percent for the long roof option.
It’s likely that this difference will be roughly translated in Australia, where pricing for the M3 Competition xDrive sedan has recently been increased to $169,500 before on-road costs. With the same percent difference applied the M3 Touring would command $174,755.
BMW wagons have typically attractive a slight price increase over the sedan
It’s a realistic difference given that BMW has historically charged a slight premium for its ‘touring’ variants in Australia. A good example is the 330i M Sport, currently priced at $83,300 as a sedan and $87,300 as a wagon.
Special edition branding could raise prices
The above is assuming, however, that BMW chooses to sell the M3 Touring as an ongoing option in the Australian market, as it does with the sedan.
Pricing is expected to sit around the $174,000 mark
If BMW opts to sell the M3 Touring as a special edition or in limited numbers, an additional premium could be added as the stock is likely to sell either way as a measure of exclusivity.
While the Audi RS4 still remains a clear rival, Mercedes-Benz’s continual culling of wagon variants in Australia is a worrying sign for the local future of the long-roof C63, and could drive even more demand for BMW’s first ever-official M3 Touring.
M3 Touring: power and performance
Under the skin, the M3 Touring is largely the same as its sedan compatriot, with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine under the bonnet producing 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque.
As the M3 Touring is initially being offered in Competition guise, purists will not be treated to a six-speed manual option, with the driveline instead featuring an eight-speed ZF automatic coupled to BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system.
The M3 Touring is the same animal under the bonnet
When launched from a standing start, the M3 Touring is claimed to be able to reach 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds – only 0.1 slower than the sedan – before hitting 200km/h just 9.3 seconds later.
The all-important Nurburgring Nordschleife has yet to be officially confirmed, though fans filming the M3 Touring at the ring suggests a time of just seven minutes and 30 seconds.
Official pricing and specification of the M3 Touring will be confirmed closer to the car’s on-sale date between January and March in 2023.
BMW M3 2022: prices in Australia
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
- M3: $153,500
- M3 Competition: $163,500
- M3 Competition xDrive: $169,500
- M3 Touring Competition xDrive: TBC