BMW’s new 3 Series Touring has gone on sale in the UK, with prices starting at £35,505.

The estate features the same performance, handling and efficiency updates as its saloon sibling.

The new model is larger than its predecessor and will be offered as a plug-in hybrid for the first time.

Its boot can hold 500 litres – five litres more than its predecessor – when all the seats are occupied, and directly usable primary load capacity is up by 32 litres. Boot capacity expands to offer a maximum capacity of 1,500 litres.

Three trim levels are offered: SE, Sport and M Sport.

Standard equipment includes a rain sensor, automatic headlight activation, Bluetooth and automatic three-zone climate control. There is also an electrically-operated tailgate and adaptive LED headlights.

Modifications to the car’s body to divert wind noise to good effect give a further boost to acoustic comfort, while the structural foam used to fill the A-pillars lessens the amount of airborne sound that reaches the interior. Acoustic glass for the windscreen and front side windows is also part of the standard specification.

A range of petrol and diesel engines are offered. The 320d and 318d models are mated to the latest-generation six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with an eight-speed automatic transmission available as an option.

All-wheel-drive system is standard on the range-topping BMW M340i xDrive Touring and available as an option on the 330d xDrive and 320d xDrive models.

The 318d is the most efficient, with CO2 emissions from 118g/km. The 320d emits 119g/km.

The 330e will be available from next year. It is expected to have CO2 emissions from 42g/km and has a total output of 292PS.

Model	Power (PS)	Fuel economy (mpg)	CO2 (g/km)	Priced from (OTR)
320i	184	39.8-41.5	132-130	£35,505
330i	258	39.2-40.4	146-137	£39,285
318d	150	51.4-53.3	117-114	£35,625
320d	190	52.3-55.4	121-119	£35,235
320d xDrive	190	49.6-51.4	124-121	£39,560
330d	265	44.8-45.6	139	£41,565
330d xDrive	265	42.8-43.5	146-141	£43,065