BMW has slowly been killing off one of owners’ favorite features: the rear window hatch. For decades, BMW “Touring” wagons had rear window glass that would open independently of the tailgate, so you could quickly toss small items into the trunk without opening the entire hatch. But in recent years, as new Touring models released, they’ve been losing their window hatches, like the current 5 Series and M5 Touring. Thankfully, it might be coming back on the i3 Touring.
Auto Express recently spoke to Dr Mike Reichelt, head of BMW’s Neue Klasse division, and asked whether the i3 Touring would get an independent rear window hatch. He reportedly just smiled, nodded, and said “We will see.”
Is that a guarantee? No, of course not. It could just be Reichelt playfully avoiding a disappointing answer, the way parents do when kids ask if they can have ice cream later, saying “We’ll see” and hope they forget. However, if it didn’t have the rear window, Reichelt would have probably just said so. So the playfully coy answer seems to indicate that BMW has a pleasant surprise in store for fans when the i3 Touring finally releases.
M5 Touring doesn’t have the rear window hatch
Why did BMW get rid of the trick rear window in the first place? According to BMWBlog, it was for aerodynamic reasons. While the rear window itself doesn’t affect aero, sharper designs do. And it was getting to difficult, and likely too expensive, to engineer an opening rear window into the lower sloping rear rooflines and tailgates that were designed for snazzier styling and better aero. But it seems that BMW must have found a healthy compromise for the i3 Touring.
Fans are already going to be excited at just the i3 Touring’s existence. Not only will it be the continuation of BMW’s 3 Series Touring lineage, but it will be pretty unique in the segment, as an all-electric wagon. And it might get BMW’s cool window back.
