- BMW says US buyers are warming to high-powered wagons like the M5 Touring.
- Smaller M3 Touring still skips America, leaving enthusiasts with limited choices.
- Some US drivers are picking wagons for their cleaner looks over practicality.
The launch of cars like the Audi RS6 Avant and BMW M5 Touring has helped spark renewed interest in high-performance wagons in the United States, and it appears to be working. BMW has taken notice, and it’s possible the brand could launch more estates in the market going forward.
Last year, BMW revealed that the M5 Touring was actually outselling the sedan in the US, whereas the opposite is true in Europe, despite estates historically being more popular there than in most other regions. According to Bernd Koerber, BMW’s senior vice president for Brand and Product Management, it’s the shape of estates that’s winning over American buyers.
Read: If You Buy Enough M5 Tourings, BMW Might Bring Next M3 Wagon To US
“The reasons for buying a Touring in the US are totally different,” he told CarBuzz. “It’s purely the shape, whereas in Europe, you have the combination of shape, functionality, and long-distance traveling.”
During the same interview, Koerber added that the combination of style and performance with a model like the M5 Touring is a winning recipe, leaving the door open for other similar cars to be launched in the future.
“This combination seems to work from a lifestyle perspective,” he said. “Unique shape with high performance seems like to be a good mix.”
The Next M3 Touring?
Given how popular the M5 Touring is in the US, BMW is perhaps regretting its decision not to sell the M3 Touring there as well. BMW doesn’t break down M3 sales by sedan and Touring body styles, but in some markets, the Touring reportedly accounts for up to 50 percent of total M3 sales. Shortly after the car’s launch, BMW acknowledged it had to double or even triple planned production volumes due to exceptional demand.
As the current-generation M3 will only stick around for a couple of more years, it’s unlikely BMW will be able to develop a US-spec model. However, it’s certainly possible that the next-generation M3, which will transition to a mild-hybrid retaining the familiar 3.0-liter twin-turbo six, will spawn a Touring model. If that happens, BMW would be wise to sell it to Americans.
