Review: BMW F31 3-Series Touring (2013-19)

Review: BMW F31 3-Series Touring (2013-15)

Overview

Released in February 2013, the BMW F31 3-Series Touring was a compact executive wagon. Manufactured in Germany, the rear-wheel drive BMW F31 3-Series Touring range was powered by 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines (for the 318d) or 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines (for the 320i and 328i). All F31 3-Series Touring models were fitted with BMW’s ‘Auto Start-Stop’ and ‘Brake Energy Regeneration’ functions as standard, while a ‘Driving Experience Control’ switch which enables the driver to select from Normal, Eco and Sport driving modes.

Compared to the E91 3-Series Touring , the F31 3-Series Touring was 104 mm longer (at 4624 mm), 6 mm narrower (1811 mm), 11 mm taller (1429 mm) and had a 50 mm longer wheelbase (2810 mm). Body stiffness also increased by more than 10 per cent, while lightweight construction techniques reduced kerb mass by around 40 kilograms. The F31 3-Series Touring has a double-joint front axle with springs struts, a five-link rear axle and electromechanical steering.

With the rear seats in position, cargo space for the F31 3-Series Touring was 495 litres, though this increased to 1500 litres when the 40/20/40 split and folding rear seats were lowered; the 3-Series Touring also had a power-operated, two-part tailgate.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the BMW F31 3-Series Touring included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, cornering brake control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

The F31 3-Series Touring was also fitted with BMW’s ‘Active Protection’ system which operated automatically at speeds above 18 km/h. If an accident was anticipated, Active Protection would prepare safety systems for a collision by retracting the front seatbelts and closing the side windows and sunroof (where fitted). After the collision, the brakes would be applied for 1.5 seconds to reduce the likelihood of a second collision.

In February 2015, standard safety equipment for the F31 3-Series Touring was extended to include:

• BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant’:
  • Approach Control Warning: if the driver was rapidly approaching an obstacle ahead, the driver would receive a visual warning in the instrument cluster, followed by a warning tone. If the driver failed to respond, the brakes would be applied automatically with deceleration of up to 3 m/s²;
  • Lane Departure Warning (LDW): operating at speeds above 70 km/h, a camera could scan the road up to 50 metres ahead and detect lane markings. If the driver unintentionally deviated from their lane, the driver would be alerted via steering wheel vibrations and a visual warning in the instrument cluster;
  • Pedestrian Warning with Light Braking Function: used a camera to scan the road ahead when the vehicle was travelling at speeds between 10 km/h and 60 km/h. if a potential collision with a pedestrian was identified, the driver would receive a visual warning in the instrument cluster and an alert tone; simultaneously, the braking system would be primed for maximum response. If the driver failed to respond, medium-force braking would be automatically initiated – this would reduce the risk of collision and prompt the driver to react. Once the driver applied the brake pedal, maximum braking force would be applied; and,
• Lane Change Warning: used two radar sensors in the rear of the vehicle to monitor traffic in adjacent lanes with a range of up to 60 metres behind the vehicle. The Lane Change Warning would warn the driver of potentially dangerous situations by conveying warnings through the instrument panel, an LED icon on the door mirror and steering wheel vibrations.

As part of the February 2015 update, BMW’s ConnectedDrive Services and Apps were also introduced – these included

• BMW TeleServices: enabled service-related vehicle data to be automatically transmitted to the driver’s preferred service dealer and for vehicle diagnostics to be transmitted to the Roadside Assistance Centre for immediate assessment over the phone; and,
• BMW Intelligent Emergency Call: automatically transmitted vehicle accident information and called the BMW ConnectedDrive Call Centre for assistance; emergency services would then be informed by the call centre if required.

Euro NCAP and ANCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , an F30 3-Series sedan received a five star safety rating which included a 95 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 84 per cent child occupant protection rating. Under ANCAP’s assessment regime, this testing resulted in a score of 36.76 out of 37. In the frontal impact, there was a slight risk of serious leg injury for the front occupants. Maximum points were awarded in the side impact test, though chest protection was rated as adequate for the driver in the more severe pole test.

Features

Standard features for the BMW F31 318d Touring included 16-inch alloy wheels with 225/55 R16 tyres, a six speaker sound system with a CD player, MP3-compatibility and auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod), dual-zone climate control air conditioning, synthetic leather upholstery (‘Sensatec’), cruise control (with downhill braking function), Bluetooth connectivity, front and rear fog lights, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, multi-function steering wheel, 40/20/40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking with proximity key, push-button start, power windows and heated mirrors (with automatic dipping on reverse), a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, courtesy lights, a 12 volt power outlet, cargo net, roof rails and an immobiliser.

The 320i Touring was further equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/50 R17 tyres, power adjustable front seats, steering wheel gearshift paddles, driver’s seat memory settings and an interior lighting package.

The 328i Touring was distinguished by its upgraded HiFi sound system with nine speakers and 205 watt amplifier, BMW’s ‘Business’ navigation system with a 6.5-inch display, Dakota leather upholstery, power adjustable front seat lumbar support, power folding door mirrors, anti-dazzle mirrors and burled walnut interior trim.

July 2013: 3-Series Touring update

In July 2013, features and prices for the F31 3-Series Touring range were revised. As part of the update,

• Standard features for the 318d and 320i were extended to include BMW’s ‘Business’ navigation system; and,
• The 328i was further equipped with BMW’s ‘Professional’ navigation system with an 8.8-inch display, 3D maps, integrated hard disc for navigation, 20GB storage for audio files and Internet functionality; the ‘Professional’ navigation system was also upgraded with a new iDrive controller which included a touch function.

As part of the July 2013 update, a ‘launch control’ function was also introduced for the eight-speed automatic transmission.

February 2015 update

In February 2015, standard features for the F31 3-Series Touring were extended to include bi-xenon headlights, front parking sensors (rear parking sensors already fitted as standard), a rear view camera, surround view provided a bird’s eye perspective of the vehicle and a speed limiter. For the 320i Touring, however, BMW’s ‘Dakota’ leather upholstery was replaced with ‘Sensatec’ synthetic leather.

As part of the update, the 318d, 320i and 320d Touring were equipped with BMW’s ‘Adaptive M Suspension’ which lowered the vehicle’s chassis by 10 mm and included electronically-controlled dampers that automatically adjusted to the driving situation in response to sensor inputs from the shock absorbers.

For the 318d and 320i Touring, the Sport or Luxury Lines were fitted as standard (previously limited to the 328i), while the 328i Touring was equipped with BMW’s ‘Comfort Access’ (proximity key-based keyless entry) and a hands-free opening tailgate.

As part of the update, new alloy wheel designs were introduced for the 318d, 320i and 328i Touring.

Sport Line, Luxury Line, Modern Line and M Sport packages

The F31 3-Series Touring was also available with a choice of Sport, Luxury and Modern ‘Line’ packages, while the 320i was offered with an optional M Sport package –

• Sport Line: included high-gloss black exterior features, including black kidney grille slats (with chrome kidney grille surround), high-gloss black B-pillar and window guide. Inside, there were contrasting black and red interior accents, red trim rings, red scales in the circular dials, red stitching on the steering wheel, a high-gloss black trim strip and sports seats.
• Luxury Line: identifiable by its 11 fine chrome kidney grille slats, slightly offset chrome trim strips in the front apron air intakes, high-gloss chrome trip strip running above the air scoop, high-gloss black B-pillar and window guide, window frame and weather strip finished in chrome, high-gloss chrome trip strip across the rear apron and chrome tail-pipe embellisher. Furthermore, the interior featured chrome elements and high-gloss wood strips.
• Modern Line: turbine-style alloy wheels, 11 ‘satinated’ aluminium kidney grille slats, double trim strips for the air intakes and high-gloss black B-pillar and window guides. The interior featured a light upper side to the dashboard, dark oyster steering wheel, oyster or black upholstery and trim element with a three-dimensional wood surface structure.
• M Sport package: 18-inch light alloy wheels, M Sport suspension, aerodynamic package and ‘BMW Individual’ high-gloss ‘Shadowline’ trim. Inside, there was combination cloth/Alcantara upholstery, trim elements with blue accent strips, an M leather steering wheel, M door sill finishers and an M driver’s footrest.

August 2014: 3-Series Touring High-Line

From August 2014, the 3-Series was available in a High-Line edition that combined one of the ‘Line’ packages (the Sport Line, Luxury Line or Modern Line) with BMW’s ‘Innovations Package’. The Innovations Package included:

• A head-up display which projected information such as speed, navigation directions and warnings into the driver’s field of vision;
• A surround view camera system which included top-, side- and rear-view cameras;
• BMW’s ‘Parking Assistant’ for detection of parallel parking spaces at speeds below 35 km/h and automated steering for parallel parking maneouvres;
• BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant’ which included:
  • A lane departure warning system which was active at speeds above 70 km/h. Using a camera, the system could detect if the vehicle unintentionally changed lanes and would warn the driver via steering wheel vibrations and a signal in the instrument cluster; and,
  • A collision warning system which was active at speeds above 15 km/h. This system used a camera to detect vehicles ahead and could warn the driver of a possible collision; the brakes would also be primed for shorter stopping distances;
• BMW’s ‘Lane Change Warning’ system which was active at speeds above 50 km/h. The system would be activated by the driver using the indicators and, if a vehicle was detected in the vehicle’s blind spot or approaching in an adjacent lane, the driver would be warned via steering wheel vibrations and a signal in the door mirror;
• BMW’s ‘Comfort Access’ system for keyless entry, including vicinity lighting for the door handles and hands-free opening of the tailgate via foot movement under the rear bumper;
• Front parking sensors (for the 318d Touring);
• Exterior mirrors with anti-dazzle function (already standard on 328i Touring and above);
• An extended instrument cluster (already standard for 328i Touring and above); and,
• For the 328i Touring High-Line, bi-xenon headlights.

Related links

Review: BMW F31 LCI 3-Series Touring (2015-19)

Overview

Commencing production in July 2015 and officially released in Australia in October 2015, the BMW F31 LCI 3-Series Touring introduced updated styling, stiffer suspension, an upgraded interior and extended features. For Australia, the F31 LCI 3-Series Touring range consisted of the 320i and 330i Touring.

Identification

The BMW F31 LCI 3-Series Touring could be identified by its new front apron which had broader side intakes and a ‘more intricate structure’ for the central air intake. The F31 LCI 3-Series Touring also had new LED headlights – fitted as standard – with LED indicators positioned above them and new LED tail-lights.

Inside, the F31 LCI 3-Series Touring featured new surface materials, a new centre console with a sliding cover and additional chrome highlights for the controls, air vents and central control panel.

Suspension

The BMW F31 LCI 3-Series Touring had stiffer suspension due to ‘further developed damper technology’, a more rigid bodyshell mountings and revised steering. According to BMW, the new suspension settings improved both transverse and longitudinal dynamics and provided ‘significantly enhanced dynamic capabilities without any compromise on ride comfort’.

As per the February 2015 update, however, all Australian-delivered F31 LCI 3-Series Touring models were fitted with BMW’s ‘Adaptive M Suspension’ which lowered the chassis by 10 mm and included electronically-controlled dampers that automatically adjusted to the driving situation.

Safety equipment

Compared to the post-February 2015 MW F31 3-Series Touring, standard safety equipment for the F31 LCI 3-Series Touring was unchanged.

Features: 320i and 330i Touring

Relative to the post-February 2015 BMW F31 3-Series Touring, the F31 LCI 320i Touring was further equipped with a digital radio tuner (DAB+), Real Time Traffic Information for the navigation system, LED headlights and BMW’s ConnectedDrive Lifestyle connectivity system.

The F31 LCI 330i Touring was further equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, BMW’s ‘Professional’ navigation system, Dakota leather upholstery, BMW’s ‘Comfort Access’ (proximity key), and Luxury Line styling elements.

2016 BMW F31 LCI 330i Touring Individual

Released in Australia in January 2016, the BMW F31 LCI 330i Touring Individual was specified with the following BMW Individual features:

• Fine-wood trim in Piano Black;
• Extended Merino leather upholstery in Cashmere Beige;
• Citrin Black paint finish; and,
• Leather instrument panel.

Otherwise optional features that were fitted as standard for the BMW F31 LCI 330i Touring Individual included 19-inch double-spoke M light alloy wheels in Orbit Grey, a Harman/Kardon surround sound system, BMW’s ConnectedDrive Freedom, Comfort Package, Innovations package, M Sport package, internet connectivity, heated front seats, a panoramic glass sunroof and satinised aluminium exterior trim. Australian deliveries of the BMW F31 LCI 330i Touring Individual were limited to five vehicles.

Related links

• BMW Australia: BMW 3-Series Touring
• Behind the Wheel: 2016 BMW 330i Touring Review
• Wikipedia.org: BMW F30 3-Series