The Surprising Success of BMW M Touring Models
The long-roof versions of BMW M cars have proven to be a surprising success, with the body style defying trends in the broader automotive market. This unexpected demand has caught the attention of BMW M CEO Frank van Meel, who admitted that the popularity of these models has come as a pleasant surprise.
Van Meel shared his thoughts with Australian media, acknowledging that customer interest in traditional car-based wagons has been declining, with many preferring SUVs instead. “A little bit [surprised], yes,” he said when asked about the demand for Touring models. “Because over the past decades, every time we asked, ‘do you want a Touring model?’ the answer was always ‘no, we don’t want that in our market. We are an SUV market, or we are a sedan market.’”
Despite this trend, BMW M continues to offer two performance-oriented wagon models: the M3 Touring and M5 Touring. These models have managed to carve out a niche in a market where traditional wagons are becoming increasingly rare.
In Australia, the demand for traditional wagons has steadily declined over the past two decades, with the market shifting its focus towards SUVs. As a result, there are now fewer than 20 different wagons available for sale. However, the performance versions of the M3 and M5 Tourings have maintained strong sales. According to BMW, 270 M3 Tourings and 53 M5 Tourings were sold locally last year. These figures represent 38 per cent of all M3 sales and 35 per cent of all M5 sales.
Van Meel believes that the appeal of these high-performance wagons lies more in their driving dynamics than their design. “I think with M, it’s more than just a Touring. It’s something really special, it’s more or less a race car disguised as a Touring, but offering also all the practicality that the Touring has because it’s an everyday use,” he explained.
Looking ahead, van Meel hinted at the possibility of expanding the range of high-performance Touring models in future generations. “The Touring demand is now increasing, and we’re really happy with that. We’ll see where that leads us in the future as well,” he said.
BMW has already released some radical concepts that suggest a future for more practical performance models. One such concept is a ‘shooting brake’ version of the now-defunct Z4 roadster. Additionally, the next-generation M3, set to be revealed early next year, is reportedly planned to offer a Touring option in electric guise.
These developments signal that despite the decline in traditional wagon popularity, there remains a dedicated audience for performance-oriented long-roof models. For BMW M, the Touring body style may yet have a bright future ahead.
