There are already a few electric combination models on the market, but in the league of premium models, the Munich-based company will be the first to bring an electric backpack version to customers at the end of May. As with the sedan produced in Dingolfing, the inclined 5 Series customer also has the freedom to choose which drive should provide propulsion as appropriate as possible for the station wagon version.
In addition to the BMW i5, the 5 Series is also available as a diesel, gasoline engine and as a plug-in hybrid with four and six cylinders. Compared to its predecessor, the Touring has almost outgrown the luxury class with a length of 5.06 meters (plus almost ten centimeters). There are no notable surprises in terms of design, as the Bavarian is identical to the sedan up to the B-pillar and not much has changed in the wheelbase either, with a small increase of two centimeters.
Nevertheless, the BMW i5 / 5 Series Touring offers significantly more space in the interior than its successful predecessor, which is particularly beneficial for the rear passengers. The BMW i5 / 5 Series doesn’t just want to score points with its loading volume of 570 to 1,700 liters, but in addition to the electric tailgate it also offers remote unlocking of the rear seat back, while the luggage compartment partition net and load compartment cover disappear under the loading floor. Trailers weighing up to two tons can be hooked up using the optional trailer hitch.
The drives are identical to those of the sedan. The BMW i5 eDrive40 Touring is available at market launch with a 230 kW / 313 HP / 400 Nm rear-wheel drive. Its standard consumption of 16.5 kWh / 100 km results in a range of up to a maximum of 560 kilometers. The top speed is a weak 193 km/h.
Until the new BMW M5 celebrates its premiere as a sporty station wagon version in the summer, the i5 M60 xDrive with 442 kW / 601 hp and 820 Nm is the top model, which has a top speed of 230 km/h. The maximum charging speed is 205 kW and the standard range promises the occupants a maximum of 500 kilometers until the next charging stop. The basic diesel is the BMW 520d Touring with 145 kW / 197 hp, which is available with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. All 5 Series models with combustion engines transmit their engine power to one or two axles via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The BMW 530e Touring will follow in the summer, whose 140 kW / 190 hp two-liter turbo is supported by a 135 kW / 184 hp electric motor, which pushes the total output to 220 kW / 299 hp. Its standard consumption of 0.7 to 0.9 liters per 100 kilometers compares to an electric range of 84 to 96 kilometers. If desired, the hybrid station wagon is also available with all-wheel drive.
The most powerful diesel is the 220 kW / 299 hp BMW 540d Touring, which is mandatory as an all-wheel drive model. From a standstill it goes to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and at 250 km/h the speed is limited electrically. Its standard consumption: 5.8 liters of diesel. The official market launch of the BMW i5 / 5 Series is on May 25th. The base price for the BMW 520d Touring is 61,750 euros; the all-wheel drive version costs 54,350 euros. The basic electric model of the BMW i5 eDrive 40 starts at 72,200 euros, while the i5 M60 xDrive already breaks the 100,000 mark at 101,500 euros.
