BMW has confirmed the i3, its new electric 3 Series with a range of 559 miles, will be offered in Touring estate form.

A silhouette of the new model was briefly shown during the unveiling for the i3, showcasing its different roofline and hatchback boot.

"Business customers and families will be particularly delighted: the Touring has always been a favourite with them," said BMW Group chief Oliver Zipse. 

For reference, the current petrol 3 Series has 480 litres of boot space as a saloon and 500 litres as an estate. BMW has yet to publish a capacity for the new i3, however.

Zipse said that the i3 "marks a new beginning" for BMW.

The i3 and related iX3 SUV are the first models of BMW's Neue Klasse era – a complete rethink of how it designs and engineers cars for the electric age, inspired by the original Neue Klasse cars that brought the brand into the mainstream 60 years ago.

To that end, the i3 saloon is the longest-range EV available in the UK, using a 108kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery and new-generation electric motors on its front and rear axles.

The current petrol 3 Series will be heavily updated to bring it into line with the new EV, so it "is basically a new car", BMW engineers told Autocar.