Photo: SH Proshots
BMW is getting ready to attack the electric business wagon segment with the first-ever i5 Touring. As its name implies, it will be an all-quiet alternative to the ICE-powered new-gen 5 Series Touring, and it should go on sale in Europe before the end of the year, or that's what the rumor mill suggests, anyway.
Our previous sightings of the BMW i5 Touring showed fully-camouflaged prototypes of the car. However, in the meantime, the Munich auto firm pulled the wraps off the new-gen 5 Series, and the i5 Sedan, and it is now time to put the spotlight on the five-door variant with far less fake skin. Unfortunately for us, BMW removed the camouflage at the uninteresting end, namely up front, as the entire rear end of the zero-emission model still wears the trippy vinyl stickers.
It is clear that we are looking at the i5 Touring and not a late tester of the new 5 Series Touring because it features a closed-off design of the kidney grille. There are no visible tailpipes either, and that's enough to tell us it features EV power. It's hard but not impossible to make out the exact powertrain this tester uses, but we do see the black exterior trim, several add-ons up front, 20-inch alloys, and red brake calipers.
Our guess would be the eDrive40 variant, which uses a single motor generating 335 horsepower (340 ps/250 kW) driving the rear wheels, which has 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque on tap. The i5 eDrive40 Sedan takes six seconds from 0-62 mph (0-100 kph), and since the i5 Touring is heavier, it should also be a few tenths slower. The top speed might be identical at 120 mph or 193 kph.
As for the i5 M60 xDrive variant, it comes with carbon fiber side mirror casings and a different grille pattern. Its bi-motor setup feeding both axles develops a total of 592 hp (601 ps/442 kW) and 605 lb-ft (820 Nm) of torque. Due to the extra oomph, this model is far quicker, taking only 3.8 seconds to sprint to sixty-two. The top speed was also increased over the lesser variant, and it now stands at 130 kph (210 mph) or 143 mph (230 kph) should you opt for the performance rubber.
BMW should open the order books for the i5 Touring in Europe before the end of the year, and the M5 Touring will top the family. Taking on the likes of the Audi RS 6 Avant, the super wagon will be unveiled in 2024 and should launch as a 2025 model. There is still no official word on a possible introduction to our market, so one can only hope that at least the range-topping M5 Touring will apply for a US visa.
It is clear that we are looking at the i5 Touring and not a late tester of the new 5 Series Touring because it features a closed-off design of the kidney grille. There are no visible tailpipes either, and that's enough to tell us it features EV power. It's hard but not impossible to make out the exact powertrain this tester uses, but we do see the black exterior trim, several add-ons up front, 20-inch alloys, and red brake calipers.
Our guess would be the eDrive40 variant, which uses a single motor generating 335 horsepower (340 ps/250 kW) driving the rear wheels, which has 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque on tap. The i5 eDrive40 Sedan takes six seconds from 0-62 mph (0-100 kph), and since the i5 Touring is heavier, it should also be a few tenths slower. The top speed might be identical at 120 mph or 193 kph.
As for the i5 M60 xDrive variant, it comes with carbon fiber side mirror casings and a different grille pattern. Its bi-motor setup feeding both axles develops a total of 592 hp (601 ps/442 kW) and 605 lb-ft (820 Nm) of torque. Due to the extra oomph, this model is far quicker, taking only 3.8 seconds to sprint to sixty-two. The top speed was also increased over the lesser variant, and it now stands at 130 kph (210 mph) or 143 mph (230 kph) should you opt for the performance rubber.
BMW should open the order books for the i5 Touring in Europe before the end of the year, and the M5 Touring will top the family. Taking on the likes of the Audi RS 6 Avant, the super wagon will be unveiled in 2024 and should launch as a 2025 model. There is still no official word on a possible introduction to our market, so one can only hope that at least the range-topping M5 Touring will apply for a US visa.
Google News