From 2001 onwards, BMW offered an all-wheel drive version of the BMW 330i Touring in the form of the BMW 330xi Touring (E46). The all-wheel-drive Touring was launched even before the BMW 330xi all-wheel-drive sedan. The 3.0 litre inline six-cylinder engine (M54B30) was a particularly appealing offering for sporty drivers who also yearned for the generous luggage space of a touring car coupled with robust traction even in adverse road conditions. However, the target group for the all-wheel-drive Touring generating an output of 231 hp was relatively restricted and the production run amounted to only just over 3,000 vehicles. This might well also have been due to the high price tag. Customers had to hand over more than DM 72,000 to purchase the Touring fitted with all-wheel drive. This made it the most expensive model in the BMW 3 Series (E46) - with the exception of the M3.