Sixth-gen BMW 5-series Touring debuts with first ever i5 Touring

BMW has unveiled the 6th generation of the 5-series Touring and this marks a very important evolution in the car's long history, as this is the first time ever the wagon is offered with an all-electric powertrain. Scheduled to launch in Germany, select European markets, and Japan in May 2024, followed by the remainder of the world in June, a flexible drive architecture allows model variants with petrol and diesel engines, plug-in hybrid systems and purely electric drive systems to be produced on a single production line at BMW Dingolfing plant.

BMW 5-series Touring: Powertrains

Electric powertrains begin with the i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 xDrive, both of which use the same 81.2kWh battery pack as the sedan. The eDrive40 has a single motor on the rear axle that produces 340PS and 430Nm of torque. The M60 features xDrive, which has a motor on each axle and produces a total of 601PS and a maximum of 820Nm. With the help of all-wheel drive, the car can sprint from 0 to 100kmph in just 3.9 seconds. The M60 xDrive has a driving range of 506km on the WLTP cycle, while the eDrive40 has a range of 560km.

Fuel-powered variants begin with the diesel-powered 520d and its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 48-volt mild hybrid producing 197PS and 400Nm of torque. Above that, is the 530e with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder, but it's a plug-in hybrid. The electric motor assistance boosts combined output to 299PS and is available in both rear and all-wheel drive. The 540d on the other hand uses a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 mild hybrid producing 299PS.

BMW 5-series Touring: Design and Interior

From the front all the way to the B-Pillar, the 5-series Touring is identical to the sedan. The rear of the all-new 5 Series Touring is designed with aggressive lines and well-defined angles rather than gentle curves. The 5-series Touring's wagon body shape allows for more athletic shoulder lines and a flatter rear window, resulting in a sportier yet attractive look.

The main reason why someone will consider the wagon over the sedan is obviously the added space to carry stuff and customers can store 570 litres of stuff in the back with the rear seats deployed, or up to 1,700 litres with the rear seats folded down.

The tech offerings are identical to those found in the 5-series and i5 sedans, featuring a large curved display screen on the dashboard and the most recent iDrive 8.5 software with an in-car gaming platform. A hands-free driver-assist mode is also available, which may work on the highway under specific situations.

BMW India currently has several EVs on offer which include the iX1, i4, iX and the i7. while we don't expect the Touring cars to come to India, we are expecting the i5 sedan to make its debut in the near future.

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