Electric BMW 5 Series Touring headed to Oz

BMW is set to return its 5 Series Touring (wagon) to Australian showrooms from this year, albeit in a single, all-electric performance trim dubbed the i5 M60 xTouring.

Priced from $219,900 plus on-road costs the model is $4000 dearer than the equivalent sedan and is the only wagon variant to be offered in the Australian 5 Series range.

The 2024 BMW i5 M60 xTouring is powered by twin electric motors developing 442kW of power and 820Nm of torque. BMW says the numbers are sufficient to accelerate the model from standstill to 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 320km/h.

Power is drawn from an 81.2kWh battery pack which offers a claimed driving range of 506km (WLTP). Charging is via a 205kW DC or 22kW AC arrangement with all i5 models eligible for a five-year subscription to the Chargefox public charging network.

Interestingly, the i5 Tourer is the same size as its four-door sibling measuring 5060mm in length, 1900mm in width, 1515mm in height and 2995mm between the axles. The dimensions offer cargo capacity of 570 litres in five-seat mode of 1700 litres all told.

In terms of styling and equipment there is little to separate the Touring from its sedan counterpart, excusing obvious body differences.

Both feature BMW’s latest interpretation of the twin headlight/kidney grille fascia with LED elements arranged almost vertically and serving as both indicators and daytime driving lights. The protruding kidney grille features a wide surround that can be optioned up with an Iconic Glow contour lighting.

The profile exhibits a high shoulder line with “powerfully designed” surfaces and two precisely traced character lines that shape the vehicle’s body. The exterior is highlighted with black side skirts, flush-mounted door openers and an embossed number ‘5’ at the base of the C-pillar.

The fully vegan interior is designed to function as a mobile office providing high levels of comfort and connectivity for those on the move. BMW said it paid special attention to long distance comfort as the 5 Series is a popular continental travel alternative to aircraft.

To that end, the interior provides “space, modern functionality, a high level of acoustic comfort as well as high-quality, precisely processed materials, fine workmanship and advanced digital services”.

For the driver, the cockpit has significantly fewer buttons and controls compared to the predecessor model achieved by digitalising functions. The focal point of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch instrument- and 14.9-inch infotainment screen combination that runs BMW OS 8.5, allowing customers over-the-air updates.

Elsewhere, standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive M suspension, rear-wheel steering assistance, sport seats, four-zone climate control, head-up display, keyless entry and start, a fixed glass panoramic roof, power tailgate, carbon-fibre interior garnishing, and LED ambient cabin lighting.

Optionally, the BMW i5 M60 xTouring is available with a Comfort Package ($2700) adding front comfort seats, rear seat heating (outboard seats only), rear sunblinds, and steering wheel heating; or the M Sport Plus Package ($3000) adding 21-inch alloys, a black grille and taillight trim, carbon-fibre wing mirror caps, and M Sport Pro pack.

Safety aids are generous, and include adaptive cruise control, AEB, auto parking, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane centring and lane keeping, and tyre pressure monitoring to name a few.

The 2024 BMW i5 M60 xTouring is expected in local showrooms in the second half of 2024.

2024 BMW 5 Series pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.