2024 BMW 5 Series Touring arrives with electric power

On sale June 2024 | Price from £69,040

Whether your allegiance lies with Dior, Gucci or Jimmy Choo, the sheer range of premium-branded handbags available reveals a global appetite for accessories that combine functionality with luxury. Similarly, the new BMW 5 Series Touring is designed for those who want to experience the finer things in life while still having all the stuff-toting space they need. 

Like those designer handbags, the new 5 Series Touring places a big emphasis on sustainability – primarily by being available only in fully electric or plug-in hybrid forms.

We’ve seen pictures of only the electric i5 Touring so far, but as you might expect, it mirrors its i5 saloon sibling, with the same light up grille and aggressive front bumper, as well as deep side skirts in contrasting gloss black. 

While the 5 Series saloon offers a 520-litre boot, the Touring’s bulkier derrière takes luggage capacity up to 570 litres. That’s more than you got with the outgoing model, and we managed to fit 10 carry-on suitcases below that car’s tonneau cover. You can also drop the rear seats, increasing capacity to a van-like 1700 litres, and they split and fold in a handy 40/20/40 arrangement. 

Most i5 Touring buyers will opt for the entry level eDrive40 model, which has 309bhp from a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels. This version’s official range of up to 348 miles is longer than any version of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo can manage, and it can reach 62mph in a nippy 6.1sec. 

Want more pep? The range-topping i5 M60 xDrive gets a second motor to drive the front wheels, giving it four-wheel drive and a total of 593bhp. That extra power drops the 0-62mph sprint time to 3.9sec but also brings the official range down to 314 miles. 

The i5 Touring’s 81.2kWh battery can be charged at rates of up to 205kW, so a 10-80% top-up should take just half an hour if you use a suitably powerful charging point. The Taycan can take the same charge in just 20 minutes, thanks to its faster charging rate of 270kW.

The plug-in hybrid 530e Touring, due later this year, combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined output of 295bhp. With up to 60 miles of electric range (officially), it’ll be able to complete most weekday commutes without using a drop of petrol. That range puts the 530e Touring in an enticingly low 8% tax bracket for company car drivers. 

It should also be cheap to run, with headline-grabbing official fuel economy of 403.5mpg – although you’ll need to charge its battery regularly to get anywhere close to that. Unlike the 5 Series saloon, there are no Tourings powered solely by petrol or diesel. 

Meanwhile, if you’re planning on towing, the i5 Touring can handle trailers or caravans weighing up to 1500kg, while the plug-in hybrid ups that limit to 1800kg. 

Inside, there’s the same 12.3in digital instrument cluster and 14.9in infotainment touchscreen that has already impressed us in the i5 saloon. They offer pin-sharp graphics and lots of scope for personalisation, plus the infotainment system can be controlled via a dial on the console between the front seats. This is easier to use on the move than the touchscreen-only set-ups found in most rivals. If your kids get bored, it even allows them to play games on the screen, using a smartphone as a controller. 

Standard kit across the range is expected to include artificial leather and sports seats, while the i5 receives a heat pump; this warms the interior efficiently in cold weather, helping to conserve your range. 

While an entry-level Sport Edition trim level is offered on the i5 Touring, with a price of £69,040, most buyers are expected to opt for the ever-popular M Sport trim, which starts from £75,450. That’s still almost £5000 less than the cheapest Taycan Sport Turismo costs, but rather more than you’d spend on most designer handbags.

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