BMW 5-series Touring and electric i5 Touring: fully charge!

[Belangrijke bij de video: Toen wij de introductievideo van de i5 Touring opnamen, communiceerde BMW andere cijfers met betrekking tot de actieradius van de BMW i5 eDrive40 Touring (560 kilometer) en i5 M60 xDrive Touring (506 kilometer). In het artikel hieronder staan de correcte WLTP-cijfers vermeld.]

Highlights BMW 5-series/i5 Touring

• Electric i5 Touring just as spacious as 5-series Touring with combustion engines
• Bigger and more spacious than previous Touring
• Mild hybrid combustion engines, plug-in hybrid powertrains and electric powertrains

The eighth generation of the BMW 5 Series was presented in mid-2023. The BMW 5 Series is available with mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines, with plug-in hybrid powertrains and, for the first time in the 5 Series history, is also available as an i5 with electric powertrains. Until now we only knew the 5-series as a sedan, but the 5-series family is of course not complete without a Touring. This is the new BMW 5-series Touring and it is also available as a fully electric i5 Touring.

With the unveiling of the electric i5 Touring, BMW has an electric station wagon on offer earlier than its major German competitors in the so-called E-segment. Mercedes-Benz does not offer the EQE Estate and refers you to the EQE SUV for more space. Audi is coming with the A6 e-tron and A6 Avant e-tron, but both have yet to be unveiled.

The 5-series Touring that we are saying goodbye to.

Size and space

The new BMW 5-series Touring, like the 5-series Sedan, has grown compared to the previous model. The station wagon grows in length by almost 10 centimeters to 5.06 meters and is therefore just as long as the sedan. Just like the 5-series Sedan, the 5-series Touring also gets 2 centimeters extra between the front and rear axle, resulting in a wheelbase of just under 3 meters.

With increased dimensions also comes more interior space. With the 5-series Touring it is of course mainly about the space behind the rear seat. The 5-series Touring swallows 570 liters. If you fold down the back seat, you can take 1,700 liters of stuff with you. It is striking that the luggage compartment of the i5 Touring is also identical to that of the 5-series with combustion engines, while the i5 Sedan takes 30 liters less than the 5-series Sedan without an electric drivetrain. The new 5-series Touring and i5 Touring may consume 140 liters more than the previous 5-series Touring with plug-in hybrid powertrains, but only a modest 10 liters more than the versions without a plug.

BMW i5 Touring: pay attention to the shoulder line.

The new 5-series Touring and i5 Touring swallow 50 liters more than the 5-series Sedan and 80 liters more than the i5 Sedan. You can achieve a bigger profit by flattening the back seat. Then you can fit a large 1,700 liters in the new Tourings. That’s a lot, but it doesn’t make the Touring pair any more spacious than the new E-class Estate, which can accommodate 615 to 1,830 liters. At least, if you don’t go for a plug-in hybrid powertrain. An E-Estate with a plug remains at 1,675 liters with the rear seat folded down, which is slightly less than you can cram into the 5-series Touring and i5 Touring.

Design

In terms of design, the 5-series Touring and i5 Touring provide few surprises. In October last year we were already able to show you the i5 Touring on a patent image and unfortunately for BMW, the first images of the station duo recently appeared on the internet too early. Up to the B-pillar, the 5-series Touring is of course completely 5-series. The roofline naturally extends straight to the rear. The taillights are different from those of its sedan brothers, although they are also characterized by an overall L-shape. While the rear lights on the four-door 5-series and i5 optically slope towards the sides, on the Touring they rise upwards. The shoulder line is also striking. In the previous 5-series Touring, it was almost completely straight up to the so-called Hofmeister bend, while in the new 5-series Touring it runs upwards from the rear door.

Electric BMW i5 Touring

The 5-series Touring and i5 Touring will come to the Netherlands in May this year. There are then immediately available two versions of the electric i5 Touring, which you may already know from the i5 Sedan. They both have an 81.2 kWh battery. The electric Touring party starts with the i5 eDrive40 with a single, 340 hp and 400 Nm (430 Nm with Launch Control) strong electric motor on the rear axle. For the time being, this is also the version with the longest range: 560 kilometers. You can zoom to a speed of 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds. Its top speed: 193 km/h.

The most powerful electric version is also immediately impressive. It is called M60 xDrive and has a combined 601 hp and 795 Nm (820 Nm with Launch Control) of torque. Its range: 506 kilometers. Don’t you need to approach that range? Then you can drive the BMW M60 xDrive Touring to a speed of 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. Its top speed: 230 km/h.

AC charging is possible with the eDrive40 Touring as standard with a maximum of 11 kW, optionally you get a 22 kW AC connection, which is standard on the M60 xDrive. Fast charging is possible with a maximum of 205 kW.

Up front, the i5 Touring and 5 Series Touring are identical to the sedan versions.

BMW 5 Series Touring

No need for an electric drivetrain? No problem. The 5-series Touring will also be available with a mild-hybrid diesel called 520d. It has 194 hp and 400 Nm and is available with rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive. In the summer there will be a plug-in hybrid variant and a version with a six-cylinder diesel engine. Just like the electric i5 Touring, this plug-in has air suspension as standard. An M Sport suspension is optionally available

A four-cylinder diesel with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive is also available. A plug-in hybrid version and a variant with a six-cylinder diesel will be added in the summer. The 5-series Sedan is also available as a mild-hybrid 520i, a plug-in hybrid 530e and a plug-in hybrid 550e xDrive. Don’t be surprised if at least the 530e, but possibly also those other engine versions in the 5-series Touring, become available.

But there’s more! We already know that for the first time since the disappearance of the E61, the Touring of the fifth generation 5-series, there will also be an M5 Touring! More about that later.

Prices BMW 5-series Touring and i5 Touring