The upcoming BMW i3, which serves as the fully electric version of the BMW 3 Series, will soon be available in a Touring estate body style. Spy photographers have captured the car undergoing its first round of testing, offering an early glimpse at the electric estate’s design direction.

Although the rear section of the prototype remains heavily camouflaged, the images suggest that the i3 Touring is longer than the i3 saloon, featuring a more gently sloping roofline to enhance its estate profile.

These latest spy shots follow the earlier reveal of a silhouette of the i3 Touring shown during the official debut of the i3 saloon, hinting at BMW’s plans to expand the electric 3 Series lineup.

“Business customers and families will be especially pleased – the Touring has always been a favourite among them,” said former BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse during the saloon’s unveiling, underlining the model’s appeal to practical-minded buyers.

For reference, the current petrol-powered BMW 3 Series offers 480 litres of boot capacity in saloon form and 500 litres in the estate version. While BMW hasn’t yet released the exact luggage capacity for the new electric i3 Touring, it is expected to provide significantly more space than its saloon counterpart.

However, the car doesn’t appear to bring back the distinct split tailgate design seen on earlier Touring models of the 3 Series – a feature that allowed just the rear window to open for easier boot access.

The i3 and the closely related iX3 SUV are the first models developed under BMW’s Neue Klasse platform – a new era of vehicle design and engineering intended to redefine the brand’s approach to electric mobility. This initiative takes inspiration from the original Neue Klasse cars introduced 60 years ago, which were pivotal in establishing BMW as a mainstream premium automaker.

The i3 saloon currently stands among the longest-range electric vehicles available in the UK, offering a WLTP-certified range of 567 miles on a single charge. While BMW has not yet confirmed range figures for the Touring version, it’s anticipated that the estate’s less aerodynamic shape will result in a modest reduction in range.

Pricing details are also pending, but the new i3 Touring is expected to command a slight premium over the saloon variant, which starts at £53,005 in the UK.