Entry-level EV is 335bhp i5 eDrive40, priced at £69,950
Crucial estate loses diesel power in UK including a dual-motor M-badged EV with around 600bhp
The new BMW 5 Series Touring will be launched in the UK in May with the choice of plug-in hybrid and electric drivetrains, including a dual-motor M-badged EV with nearly 600bhp.
The first estate car from BMW to offer an electric drivetrain option arrives six months after the launch of the eighth-generation 5 Series saloon, with which it shares its edgy design.
Styling changes over the saloon are concentrated behind the B-pillar, where the new 5 Series Touring receives a longer roof, altered rear doors, an extended glasshouse and an angled tailgate that features a pronounced spoiler and other aerodynamic elements to help smooth airflow around the rear window.
The new model is bigger than the previous, fifth-generation 5 Series Touring, which was launched in 2017. Length is up by 97mm to 5060mm, width by 32mm to 1900mm and height by 17mm to 1515mm. The wheelbase has also been extended by 20mm to 2995mm.
BMW says the new 5 Series Touring offers greater versatility and accommodation than any of its previous estates as a result. Despite the bigger dimensions, though, boot capacity remains the same as the previous car’s at 570 litres, extending to 1700 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
However, loading at the rear is eased by a wider tailgate opening and a new cubby underneath the boot floor can accommodate the boot partition net and cargo blind when they are not in use – or the charging cable for plug-in models.
In addition, a stiffer body structure and a new type of window glass are claimed to make the new model quieter than before.
Electric drivetrain options begin at £69,950 with a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive unit developing 335bhp and 317lb ft in the i5 eDrive40, which delivers a 0-62mph time of 6.1sec and a governed 120mph top speed.
The £99,040, range-topping i5 M60 xDrive adds an electric motor on the front axle for four-wheel drive.
With up to 592bhp and 605lb ft in Sport mode, it has a claimed 0-62mph time of 3.9sec and, in combination with an M Launch Control and an M Sport Boost function, a top speed limited to 143mph.
Both EVs use an 81.2kWh lithium ion battery, with the i5 eDrive40 offering a range of between 300 and 348 miles and the M60 between 277 and 314 miles.
Both can charge at up to 205kW. BMW has also confirmed the petrol-electric plug-in hybrid 530e Touring will be sold in the UK from July in rear-wheel-drive guise, although a four-wheel-drive version will also be available overseas.
The 530e Touring pairs a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for 295bhp and 331lb ft. Its 19.4kWh battery gives an EV range of up to 60 miles.
The 5 Series Touring will also be launched with two pure-diesel options, but they are not destined for the UK. The mild-hybrid 2.0-litre unit develops 195bhp and 295lb ft in the rear-wheel-drive 520d and four-wheel-drive 520d xDrive – the former offering claimed consumption of 45.6-49.6mpg.
A 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel, producing 282bhp and 479lb ft in the 540d xDrive, delivers 0-62mph in 5.4sec and up to 48.7mpg.
Other drivetrains are expected to be added to the line-up in time, including a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a more powerful 3.0- litre straight-six PHEV with combined outputs of 481bhp and 516lb ft.
Source: Autocar
