New BMW 5 Series Touring spotted as 2027 facelift is prepared for launch
Latest spy pictures reveal major design overhaul for exec favourite, with new cabin and fresh EV tech on the way, too
A heavily facelifted BMW 5 Series is in development – and we’ve spotted it in the final stages of testing.
The new model, seen here in all-electric i5 Touring form, promises a host of substantial updates that will bring it into line with the brand’s Neue Klasse generation of cars. We’ve already spotted the 5 Series saloon and the M5 performance version but this is our first look at the estate. The range will be revealed in early 2027, and go on sale soon after.
Three key elements in particular are expected to be the focus of major changes, the first being the exterior styling. The current car’s angular headlights and protruding grilles are set to be replaced by an entirely new set-up that references other Neue Klasse models, without mimicking them entirely.
As we can see in these images, new headlights will sit on either side of wider ‘grilles’, both of which will be illuminated on the final production models. This set-up will give the next 5 Series a distinct ‘shark-nose’ profile, complemented by a totally revised lower bumper that will help to make this visual overhaul one of the most substantial yet seen in a mid-life update.
The rest of the body will see less dramatic changes, with a new rear bumper, rear lights and wheel designs rounding off the major alterations.
The upgrades under the skin, though, are set to be even more consequential, as the cabin is expected to adopt BMW’s Panoramic iDrive set-up. This will see the inclusion of a full-width head-up display across the base of the windscreen, paired with a large and fast-reacting centre touchscreen display. Tell-tale signs of both are visible through the windscreen of these prototypes.
These new elements will be part of a fresh cabin layout, in which BMW has presumably focused on enhancing the sense of quality, after some less-than-favourable feedback for the current generation.
It’s not yet known whether the passenger display or clever illuminated panelling from the new iX5 will be integrated. However, with a need to spread the development costs of these new features across as many model lines as possible, we suspect the new 5 Series will adopt at least some of them.
The third major change is the likely switch to the company’s latest battery technology on the all-electric i5. BMW’s decision to develop its executive saloon with a powertrain-flexible chassis has traditionally meant a limited battery capacity and, by extension, a range that’s off the pace against rivals from Audi and Mercedes. However, thanks to more energy-dense battery cells, this gap will be minimised, if not extinguished altogether.
The current 5 Series and i5’s considerable spread of powertrain variants will remain, but the UK’s focus will be on electric and plug-in hybrid options, with no diesel expected to be available, as is the case with the current generation.
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