BMW i5 Touring: First!

BMW was once not a station wagon and certainly not a minivan brand. But with the 2 Series Active Tourer as one of the last remaining compact vans and now the i5 Touring, they are making a mark right there! The flexible powertrain architecture also allows the production of model variants with gasoline and diesel engines, plug-in hybrid systems, and purely electric drives on a common assembly line at the Dingolfing plant. Market launch in Germany, numerous other European countries, and Japan begins in May 2024, with further markets to follow in June 2024.

Even the 5 Series Touring easily exceeds the five-meter mark

Unfortunately, the Touring has also grown significantly: Compared to the previous model, it has increased in length by 97 mm to 5,060 mm, in width by 32 mm to 1,900 mm, and in height by 17 mm to 1,515 mm. With a wheelbase that has grown by 20 mm to 2,995 mm, it also leads the way here. But this growth offers tangible benefits: More interior space once again, with better legroom, shoulder, and elbow room, along with optimized acoustic comfort. We can confirm the former after trying out the stationary model, but the latter remains to be tested.

BMW has cleverly organized the cargo space

Also sensible is the widened luggage compartment opening and large cargo space because: Regardless of the drive technology, all 5 Series Touring models offer 570 to 1,700 liters of trunk volume. We were already able to take a look in the trunk and do a "seating test": Yes, there's really a lot of space here! Included as standard equipment are the automatic tailgate operation and remote release of the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seat backrest from the trunk. In the storage compartments under the trunk floor, you can stow the luggage compartment partition net, the trunk cover, and the charging cable for the fully electric and plug-in hybrid models. However, a side bag for the cable, like in Skoda models, would be more practical.

Fully electric: The BMW i5 Touring is the first large electric station wagon: With (for now) up to 601 PS

The Touring also comes as the M60 xDrive with up to 442 kW/601 PS powerful electric all-wheel drive. The system torque amounts to up to 820 Nm when the M Launch Control or M Sport Boost function is activated. It is claimed to consume 18.3 to 20.8 kWh/100 km. Thus, the top model accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, with its top speed electronically limited to 230 km/h.

The eDrive40 Touring is tamer, with BMW listing its power consumption at 16.5 to 19.3 kWh/100 km. Like the sedan, it offers 250 kW/340 PS and up to 430 Nm with Sport Boost or Launch Control function. The acceleration from zero to 100 km/h "takes" 6.1 seconds here.

According to WLTP, the eDrive40 Touring can achieve a range of up to 560 km.

The net battery capacity is 81.2 kWh, and BMW emphasizes its efficient e-machines with adaptive recuperation as well as the heat pumps for interior heating and cooling. Thus, the eDrive40 Touring should reach 483 to 560 kilometers, and the M60 xDrive 445 to 506 kilometers - in reality, more like 300 to 400 km in the worst case. Charging can be done with 11 kW AC, optionally also with 22 kW AC and up to 205 kW DC. The Connected Home Charging for fully electric and plug-in hybrid models is designed to enable solar and load-optimized as well as cost-optimized charging. The BMW i5 Touring is also suitable for the Plug & Charge Multi Contract function.

The standard equipment includes alloy wheels in sizes 18 or 19 inches for the fully electric and plug-in hybrid models. Optionally, alloy wheels up to 21 inches are available. Here, too, the curved display with the 12.3-inch information and the 14.9-inch control display can be found, which overall does not represent any improvement in operation: Here, the predecessor was clearly at an ergonomic advantage. The new BMW 5 Series Touring comes with a fully vegan interior as standard. The “Veganza” synthetic leather seat surfaces are optionally available with decorative perforation. Additionally, BMW Individual leather trim Merino in several bicolor variants is available. Further optional highlights include a fixed panoramic glass roof and the Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system with up to 18 speakers.

Optional: The 48V mild hybrid diesel - all petrol engines have been removed from the program!

The BMW 520d Touring is expected to require 5.3 to 5.9 l/100 km (as all-wheel drive 5.7 to 6.2 l/100 km) and generates a maximum power of 145 kW/197 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Nm. The drive portfolio will be expanded in summer 2024 to include an inline six-cylinder diesel engine. For the 540d xDrive Touring, BMW indicates a consumption of 5.8 to 6.6 l/100 km.

The plug-in 530e Touring is expected to consume 0.7 to 0.9 l/100 km and 19.5 to 21.6 kWh/100 km according to WLTP, as an xDrive all-wheel drive this adds up to 0.8 to 1.1 l/100 km plus 20.3 to 22.4 kWh/100 km. In terms of CO2 balance, the plug-ins obviously fare better than the diesels. They, along with the 540d, will follow in summer.