BMW 318i Touring (E46) combined the driver-focused character of the fourth-generation 3 Series with the practicality of an estate body. The E46 Touring reached the market in 1999 and continued the tradition established by the E30 and E36 generations, according to which a BMW estate should be more than simply a family car with additional luggage capacity. Rear-wheel drive, a balanced chassis and sporting proportions were retained despite the more practical body.
The 318i was an important four-cylinder version of the Touring range. It did not offer the performance of the six-cylinder models, but combined reasonable fuel consumption and everyday usability with the traditional BMW driving experience. During its production life, the 318i also underwent a major technical transformation, with the original 1.9-litre M43TÜ eventually being replaced by the much more advanced VALVETRONIC-equipped N42 engine.
The third generation of the 3 Series Touring
The E46 was the third generation of the BMW 3 Series to be offered as a Touring. BMW presented the new estate at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1999, with sales beginning in October of that year. Until then, the E36 Touring had remained in production even after the E46 Sedan had reached the market.
The new Touring retained the Sedan’s front-end design and general styling language but added a longer roofline and a more upright rear section to provide substantially greater practicality. Despite this, the proportions remained sporting and the car avoided the appearance of a conventional large estate.
Practicality the BMW way
One of the characteristic features of the E46 Touring was its separately opening rear window. Smaller items could be loaded without raising the complete tailgate, a feature also used on the larger BMW 5 Series Touring.
A luggage-compartment roller cover and partition net were standard equipment. Optional roof rails provided the basis for BMW’s multifunction roof-rack system, allowing bicycles, skis and other bulky equipment to be carried easily.
Practicality, however, was only part of the Touring concept. BMW aimed to retain as much as possible of the Sedan’s driving character. The longitudinal engine layout, rear-wheel drive and E46 multi-link rear suspension gave the estate a distinctly BMW character.
The early 1.9-litre 318i
When the 318i Touring reached the market in 1999, BMW initially retained the M43TÜ four-cylinder engine carried over from the previous generation. It displaced 1,895 cc and produced 87 kW or 118 hp at 5,500 rpm.
The M43TÜ used two valves per cylinder and was mechanically much simpler than the BMW four-cylinder engines that followed. Its strengths were good everyday usability, adequate torque and reasonable running costs.
BMW Group Classic lists a maximum speed of 202 km/h for the early 318i Touring. Power was delivered to the rear wheels, with both manual and automatic transmissions available.
A completely new engine from 2001
In 2001 the 318i Touring received a major technical upgrade. The previous 1.9-litre M43TÜ was replaced by the new N42 four-cylinder engine, with a displacement of 1,995 cc and an output of 105 kW or 143 hp at 6,000 rpm.
The new engine featured four valves per cylinder, Double VANOS variable camshaft timing and BMW’s new VALVETRONIC system. It represented a substantial technological advance over the early 318i power unit.
VALVETRONIC
VALVETRONIC varied intake-valve lift and allowed engine load to be controlled with less dependence on a conventional throttle valve. Its purpose was to reduce pumping losses and improve both fuel economy and engine response.
Together with Double VANOS, the system made the later 318i more powerful, flexible and efficient. The increase from 118 hp to 143 hp was substantial even though the 318i model designation remained unchanged.
Towards the end of production, the N42 was replaced by the further-developed N46 engine while remaining in broadly the same 143 hp performance class.
Touring did not mean giving up driving enjoyment
The 318i Touring was a good example of BMW’s approach to the estate car. It was not designed simply to maximise luggage capacity but to remain a genuine 3 Series with greater versatility.
Rear-wheel drive, precise steering and a well-balanced chassis distinguished the E46 Touring from many front-wheel-drive competitors of the period. Even though the 318i was positioned towards the more modest end of the engine range, it retained the driver-focused character associated with the 3 Series.
More than 400,000 Tourings
The E46 Touring became significantly more successful than the estate versions of the previous 3 Series generations. BMW Group Classic states that more than 400,000 E46 Tourings left the Regensburg plant, while detailed BMW Group Archive production statistics give a total of 428,061 cars.
VIN-based production data indicate that approximately 67,300 of these were BMW 318i Tourings. The four-cylinder petrol model therefore represented an important part of the Touring range, although BMW notes that the diesel-powered 320d became the most popular E46 Touring version.
The legacy of the E46 Touring
The E46 firmly established the 3 Series Touring as a permanent part of the BMW range. The E30 had created the original concept and the E36 developed it further, but the E46 turned the compact BMW estate into a genuinely high-volume international model.
The 318i Touring represented the more practical side of this philosophy particularly well. It was not a rare sporting special, but an everyday car that still combined rear-wheel drive, driver-focused engineering and the characteristic driving feel of its 3 Series generation.
Model in the collection
The BMW 318i Touring (E46) model in my collection was produced by Minichamps. It was commissioned by BMW as an official dealer model for sales and presentation purposes within the BMW dealer network.
Technical data
Model range: 1999–2005
Body style: five-door Touring
Production location: BMW Regensburg plant, Germany
Engine until 2001: M43TÜ naturally aspirated inline-four petrol engine
Displacement until 2001: 1,895 cc
Power output until 2001: 87 kW / 118 hp at 5,500 rpm
Top speed until 2001: 202 km/h
Engine from 2001: N42 naturally aspirated inline-four petrol engine
Displacement from 2001: 1,995 cc
Power output from 2001: 105 kW / 143 hp at 6,000 rpm
Drive: rear-wheel drive
Total E46 Touring production: 428,061 cars
318i Touring production: approximately 67,300 cars according to VIN-based production statistics
Special feature: practical four-cylinder E46 Touring combining estate versatility with rear-wheel drive and the driver-focused character of the 3 Series
Photo of the real car. Photo: M 93 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0