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Bmw i5 Touring, how the electric station wagon performs

At the wheel electric Bmw 5 Series in station wagon version, tested in M60 version with 601 horsepower and 506 kilometres range.

by Simonluca Pini

29 May 2024

3' min read

Key points

Bmw i5 station wagon
Bmw i5 Touring interior
Bmw i5 Touring M60 road test
Bmw i5 M60 Touring
Bmw i5 Touring price

3' min read

Plenty of space, a connected interior, over 600 horsepower. This is not the description of the Bmw M5 station wagon, but of the I5 Touring M60, the flagship version of the sixth generation Bmw 5 Series family car combined with the electric powertrain. Following the Bavarian manufacturer's tradition, the fully track version changes its name from 5 Series to i5, although the only difference is the different powertrain and limited aesthetic details.

Bmw i5 station wagon

As on the saloon, the styling is completely new with the front end abandoning the XL-sized double mesh seen on other models of the brand. The dimensions are important, with length increased by almost 10 centimetres compared to the past, exceeding 5 metres, and with a wheelbase close to 3 metres. In detail, length is 5,060 millimetres, width 1,900 mm and height 1,520 mm.

Bmw i5 Touring interior

Climbing aboard the star of our test we find the curved display with two side-by-side 12.3-inch screens for the digital dashboard and 14.9-inch for the centre-dash display. In the console we find, revised and corrected, the typical BMW round control. The BMW 8.5 infotainment system, based on Linux while awaiting version 9 based on Android Automotive, is compatible with Apple Car Play and Android auto and presents a series of new features such as apps dedicated to watching TV content or to the world of gaming with the car becoming a console for driver and passenger, thus offering different forms of entertainment while charging.

The boot has a capacity of 570 litres expandable up to 1700 litres. In addition to automatic tailgate operation, remote release of the 40:20:40 split rear seat backrest from the luggage compartment is also standard. Lacking instead is the opening rear window, a must for 5 Series Touring customers.

Bmw i5 Touring M60, le foto su strada della station wagon elettrica da 600 cavalli
Photogallery28 foto

Road test Bmw i5 Touring M60

Tested on the road, the BMW i5 Touring M60 impresses with its Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-like behaviour. Because it can be a comfortable station wagon with generous on-board space, also capable of travelling alone (for now only in Germany, Canada and the United States), thanks to Adas devices such as the Highway Assistant with eye-activated Active Change Assistant. In real life it translates into the ability to overtake on the motorway just by looking in the side mirror. As confirmed by BMW engineers, the technology in the i5 Touring made a trip from Munich to Frankfurt possible without ever putting your hands on the wheel.

When you decide to pick up the pace, the i5 M60 does not make you regret the thermal models made by the Motorsport department. In addition to sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, it leaves you open-mouthed in its capabilities in the corners. This is thanks to the long list of standard and optional extras such as M Sport Suspension, M Sport Braking System and Adaptive Chassis Professional

with electronically controlled dampers and active roll stabilisation, Integral Active Steering and new lateral dynamics management. The four-wheel steer makes it more manoeuvrable in low-speed manoeuvres and more precise on fast roads. The brake pedal feel is also praised, always responsive and never spongy as on some electrics, despite some doubts about the management of path-linked regenerative braking.

Bmw i5 M60 Touring

The powertrain is composed of two integrated drive units on the front and rear axles, capable of unloading a maximum power output of 442 kW (601 hp) and torque of up to 820 Nm (820 lb-ft) on all four wheels when launch control or M Sport Boost is activated. Powered by a real 81.2 kWh battery, the range on the most powerful version of the i5 Touring reaches 506 kilometres with Wltp homologation thanks also to solutions such as adaptive recuperation and the presence of a heat pump for heating and cooling the passenger compartment. Turning to recharging power, there is a choice of 11 kW standard or 22 kW as an option and up to 205 kW using DC sockets.

Bmw i5 Touring price

How much does the Bmw i5 Touring cost? The price list for the first electric station wagon produced by BMW starts at 78,000 euros for the 344 hp M40 version. To get hold of the star of our test, the powerful M60, you will have to write a cheque for over 103,000 euros; optional extras excluded.