Plug-in hybrid BMW M5 Touring is the new fastest way to lug loads
Just a couple of months after revealing the new plug-in hybrid M5 supersaloon, BMW has shown off its big-booted stablemate at Monterey Car Week.
The M5 Touring comes with the same monstrous 717bhp V8 plug-in hybrid system as its four-door sibling plus an estate body for greater practicality.
Thanks to the enlarged rear end, customers will find a 500-litre luggage bay behind the second row of seats, representing an increase of 34 litres compared with the saloon. And that’s only if you fill it to the luggage cover. The boxier loadspace and easier access rear hatch will also make it more adept at carrying bulkier items.
That said, the new BMW M5 Touring isn’t quite as practical as the standard 5 Series Touring due to the plug-in hybrid powertrain robbing it of a little load space.
Under the boot floor, there’s a high voltage battery pack with a capacity of 18.6kWh that powers an electric motor housed in the gearbox, and that gives the M5 Touring a claimed range of between 38 and 42 miles on electric power alone (though expect less in the real world, especially when driving quickly or in cold weather). That’s a little below the M5 saloon’s range, which goes very slightly further on a charge, but the difference is marginal.
There’s a minor difference in performance, too, despite both cars having the same bonkers power output. That comes courtesy of the electric motor/ 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine combination, which combine to drive all four wheels, enabling the M5 Touring to get from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds — is just a tenth of a second slower than the saloon.
But while the estate is a little slower to accelerate, presumably thanks to its increased weight (the Touring is around 40kg heavier than the Saloon), it has the same electronically limited top speed of 155mphor 190mph with the M Driver’s Package.
Handling tweaks
Like the M5 saloon, the M5 Touring’s straight-line performance is complemented by some chassis upgrades, including the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system that can be turned off if you also switch off the stability control.
If that’s a bit bold for you (even BMW says it’s a setting designed purely for track use), you can always alter it slightly with the driving modes. As you advance through the sports settings, the car dials back the power heading to the front wheels for a purer driving experience.
BMW has also fitted the M5 Touring with the same four-wheel steering system as the saloon, with the rear wheels turning slightly to aid either manoeuvrability or stability, depending on the situation. At higher speeds, the wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels to make the car more stable, while at lower speeds they turn in the opposite direction to reduce the turning circle.
Performance upgrades
Design-wise, the M5 Touring gets many of the same upgrades as the saloon, including the bigger wheel arches and the more heavily designed nose. Although the BMW kidney grille isn’t quite as large as that of the M3 models, it’s still heavily styled with black trim, and it sits alongside bold bumpers and sharp lights.
Inside, the focus is still on luxury despite the performance figures, so the interior will be familiar to owners of the latest-generation 5 Series. However, there’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel — a first for a BMW M car — and there are red touches around the cabin to cement the car’s status as the performance flagship.
There are futuristic touches of ambient lighting in the trim, too, and model-specific screens in the Curved Display infotainment system, which incorporates the digital instrument display and the touchscreen.
Get ready for the price…
All of which doesn’t come cheap. Prices for the new BMW M5 Touring start at £112,500, making it £2,000 more expensive than the M5 saloon. And it comes with all the same equipment, including posh leather upholstery, heated front seats and four-zone climate control. The only difference is that the estate car gets a black-painted roof instead of the panoramic glass roof fitted to the M5 saloon.
Related articles
- If you found news on the new BMW M5 Touring interesting, you may want to read about the forthcoming M5 Saloon
- You might also like to read our review of the BMW M3 Touring
- Have you seen the next-generation BMW M2?
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