Now that the G30 5 Series in on sale all across the world, BMW proceeds to expand the 5er lineup with the G31 5 Series Touring. Slated to debut in March at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, the family-oriented model won’t be available in the United States.
I can’t blame BMW for it, though. North America is SUV country and longroofs have grown out of fashion this past decade or thereabout. Be that as it may, the U.S. is missing out on what is, in essence, a pretty neat BMW with room to spare. More to the point, trunk capacity ranges from 570 to 1,700 liters (20.1 to 60 cubic feet), which is just a bit more than the F11 5er Touring.
On a side note, the G31 5 Series Touring lags behind the S213-generation E-Class T-Modell. The rival with the three-pointed star up front has a standard cargo capacity of 670 liters (23.66 cubic feet) and a maximum load capacity of 1,820 liters (or 64.27 cubic feet) with the rear seats folded into the floor.
In first instance, the all-new 5 Series Touring will be offered with four engine options, two of which available with all-wheel-drive. These are the 520d (187 hp), 530d (261 hp) and 530d xDrive, 530i (248 hp), and 540i xDrive (335 hp). The torquiest mill of the initial lot is the six-cylinder turbo diesel in the 530d, which is rated 620 Nm (457 lb-ft). If it’s quickness you’re most interested in, the six-cylinder TwinPower Turbo powerplant propelling the 540i xDrive will have to make do with a sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) of 5.1 seconds.
“The BMW 5 Series Touring was developed specifically for the European market, where it has enjoyed great success over the last 25 years,” declared Dr. Ian Robertson, member of the board of management, sales and marketing. “I am sure that the versatility of this new, fifth generation will prove even more popular with those customers who appreciate the 5 Series Touring’s characteristic roomy, variable loading space combined with its distinguished appearance and – of course – its BMW-typical driving dynamics," he added.
Speaking of driving dynamics, additional RWD and AWD models will be added to the range until the end of the year. It’s not known if an M variant will make the cut considering how niche station wagons are in this day and age, but one can only hope. Sales of the G31 5 Series Touring will begin in June.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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