New BMW i5 Touring estate is all set for its big reveal
BMW’s electric estate will bring practicality and supercar-beating performance
The new BMW 5 Series is a significant moment in the model’s 52-year history, being offered in ‘i5’ all-electric guise for the first time. Now the range is set to grow again with the arrival of the BMW i5 Touring estate.
BMW has recently shared a few teaser videos of the i5 Touring, which will be revealed in spring 2024 according to the German brand. We’ve seen it testing plenty of times and we expect that it won't look different from the saloon version, until you reach the back end that is.
These latest teaser videos confirm that the rear lights are bespoke to the estate, with a slightly different signature to the saloon’s. The ‘M Model’ BMW refers to in the other video is the M60 variant, which will receive the same exterior tweaks as the M60 saloon. As we’ve seen in previous teaser images, the angle of the rear window also looks more rakish than on the outgoing G31-generation BMW 5 Series Touring.
The front end of the BMW i5 Touring will feature a blanked-off grille for improved aerodynamics, but overall it’ll look familiar to the internal-combustion engined 5 Series.
We expect the i5 Touring’s lineup to mirror the saloon’s. That means we'll see a rear-wheel drive i5 eDrive40 at the bottom end of the range. In the saloon the eDrive40 comes with a single rear-mounted electric motor with 322bhp and 430Nm of torque. Power comes from an 81.2kWh battery, which is enough for a 0-62mph time of six second flat - the Touring’s extra weight will probably bump this acceleration figure up slightly. The i5 eDrive40 Touring should also return a marginally lower range than the sleeker saloon’s 362 miles. There’s no reason why the charging speed of 205kW won’t remain the same with a 10-80 per cent recharge taking 30 minutes.
BMW’s boss of M division, Franciscus van Meel has said the hot M60 xDrive Touring range-topper will arrive in the spring. It’ll offer M5-rivalling performance from a dual-motor four-wheel drive powertrain with 593bhp and 820Nm of torque coming from the same 81.2kWh battery as the eDrive40. 0-62mph takes just 3.8 seconds in the M60 saloon with a top speed of 142mph. BMW claims a maximum range of 320 miles for the M60 i5 in saloon form so a figure nearer 300 miles is likely for the hot estate.
The interior of the i5 Touring will also share its layout and technology with the all-electric saloon. We’ll see a 12.3-inch driver’s display and a curved panel connected to it on the dash featuring a 12.3-inch touchscreen with BMW’s latest iDrive infotainment system.
The outgoing 5 Series Touring has one of the biggest boots of any estate with 570 litres. We’re yet to see the boot capacity for the upcoming 5 Series Touring but in saloon form there’s no difference between the new ICE 5 Series and the EV at 490 litres.
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