BMW’s i3 Touring Wagon Won’t Be Coming to America After All
by Horatiu Boeriu · BMWBLOGArticle Summary
- Sources say the BMW i3 Touring (NA1) won't be sold in the US, despite entering production this year.
- Munich builds the i3 Touring starting 07/27 in 30, 40, and 50 xDrive form, with an i3 M60 Touring to follow.
- San Luis Potosi is expected to build the i3 Touring too, but any future US wagon may need a higher-end M trim to make the cut.
The BMW i3 Touring (NA1) won’t be coming to the US, based on what we’re hearing. None of this comes as a surprise, and for two reasons. Wagons have never been a volume play in America, the M5 Touring being the recent exception that proves the rule. And the US EV market has cooled off considerably over the past year or two, which makes a low-volume model like the i3 Touring an even tougher sell here with a full EV drivetrain attached to it.
The rumormill churns out that Munich starts production of the i3 Touring in July 2027, kicking off with the 30 xDrive, 40 xDrive, and 50 xDrive variants. An i3 M60 Touring is likely to join the lineup later. The San Luis Potosi plant, which will also build the NA0 i3 sedan for North America, is expected to add the i3 Touring to its lineup as well, with power outputs carrying over unchanged from the NA0 sedan. But that Mexican production run appears to be aimed at other markets, not the US, based on what we’re hearing.
America and Wagons
So will there be any other wagons coming to America? Several signals point to any future wagon reaching American showrooms needing to justify itself with a higher-end trim, whether that’s an M Performance model running a six-cylinder or V8, or a proper M wagon. A base or mid-range Touring, EV or otherwise, doesn’t appear to clear that bar right now.
That leaves two wagons worth watching. There’s hope internally that a future G51 M350 Touring, powered by the B58 straight-six, could get a green light for the US. If that doesn’t pan out, an M3 Touring with the next-generation 3 Series is looking like the more likely path to finally getting a wagon back on American price lists.
BMW has floated a US-bound M3 Touring before and backed off. Given the M5 Touring’s arrival for 2025, and the appetite that’s followed it, the case for a six-cylinder M3 wagon is stronger than it’s been in years. Whether BMW pulls the trigger this time is a different question entirely. But it’s a better bet at this point than an electric i3 Touring.
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