Bad weather may prove no problem in BMW’s new 3 series Estate but the price might writes Geraldine Herbert What is it? There may be an insatiable appetite for rugged off roaders with a commanding view of the road but there is still case to be made for the lifestyle estate as a spacious and practical family car. BMW’s new 3 series touring is set to raise the bar all over again in the premium compact estate segment. Who is it aimed at? Reassuringly BMW’s 3 series estate comes with all-wheel xdrive, a four-wheel-drive system to keep you sure-footed in all road and weather conditions so if you are looking for better grip during winter but don’t want to opt for a bulky SUV this could be the perfect compromise. Styling?  From the outside the changes are subtle and many of the styling tweaks may go unnoticed but do include a revamped kidney grille. The headlights now extend all the way up to the grille while Adaptive LED headlights with U-shaped daytime driving lights are standard. BMWs new 3 Touring is now also bigger, taller and longer, not in a way you will notice when parking but rear-seat passengers will welcome the additional space. Black roof rails give it an adventurous-looking exterior and are standard on all models. Under the Bonnet?  Powering our test car is a six-cylinder diesel engine but there is also a range of petrol and other diesel engines to choose from. What about inside?  Once behind the wheel, the seats are pure luxury and beautifully supportive. As you would expect in this price range the cabin is high quality and while it is faultless it doesn’t have the wow factor of some rivals plus the digital instrument cluster proves fiddly. Space is good throughout and the boot comes with a decent 500-litres so will tick all the right boxes. Families will welcome the automatic tailgate operation, the flexible luggage compartment cover and the boot partition net but my favourite party piece is the rear window which opens separately, allowing smaller objects to be placed in the boot even if there isn’t enough room to open the tailgate. What’s new? This new model comes with your own PA,  well almost. By simply saying, “Hey BMW” you can command the car to do a host of things...