All-new BMW M5 Touring officially launched

A quick well done, first off, to everyone who has taken the plunge and bought a BMW M3 Touring. Because the success of that car is one of the things that encouraged BMW to go ahead and build this, only the third M5 Touring in 40 years. Speaking to the team behind this car at the preview event months ago, it’s evident that the desire was there to resurrect the model, but nobody had been quite sure on the market reception given the dominance of the SUV in the fast and family-friendly sphere. Happily, buyers took to the (slightly) smaller car in their thousands, so now, for the first time, BMW is offering both M3 and M5 Touring for sale at the same time. 

The timing seems good, too. The new G99 estate (another product code to remember) was revealed at Monterey Car Week to a North American audience that will get an M5 Touring for the very first time. Easy to imagine a 5.1-metre-long V8 station wagon with a Beemer badge on it proving popular Stateside – the perfect thing for an Aspen skiing holiday. Remember, too, that this launches without an obvious rival yet from AMG or Audi; the six-cylinder E53 is closest with almost 150hp less, and it seems like any future RS6 might be electric. 

Obviously you’ll make your own mind up about the looks, though in person – and in Isle of Man Green – the Touring did cut more of a dash than the saloon. Perhaps it was the novelty of having an estate back, perhaps it was the colour, perhaps it was the studio lighting – whatever it was, something just worked a bit better about this latest M5 look as a wagon. Maybe just the vastness of the current 5 Series suits the bigger bodystyle, and notably this is exactly the same length as the saloon (5,096mm), so it’s hardly like a huge boot overhang must be factored in.

That said, it lacks some of the M3’s tautness and attitude, yet by the same token there’ll be no mistaking an M5 for a lesser Touring (even in colours other than green) thanks to how much broader it is: fully 75mm wider at the front track and 48mm at the rear. So that does mean that overall, it’s an M5 Touring that’s more than five metres long, almost two metres wide (1,970mm) and more than 1.5m tall (1,516mm). The weight is 2.5 tonnes. But we’ve already dealt with this M5 being big and heavy, right?

Plenty is carried over from saloon to Touring, including the V8 hybrid powertrain. As a reminder, that pairs the 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 with an 18.6kWh battery and 197hp electric motor for 727hp and 738lb ft in total. BMW claims 3.6 seconds to 62mph, or just a tenth behind the saloon, and 155mph – or 189mph for those willing to pay for it. The important WLTP numbers, for what they’re worth, are 39-46g/km, 141-166mpg and anywhere between 38 and 42 miles of electric-only range. The vital estate numbers are 500 litres with the seats up (same as an M3, because there’s so much to package around the back axle like rear steer), then 1,630 litres ‘for leisure activities and trips away’. There’s even a tow hook available, with two tonnes towable.

The Touring gets a host of strengthening measures to ensure it can make the most of the performance, including, front and rear shear panels, ‘stiffening elements for the luggage compartment’, engine bay bracing and beefed-up subframe mountings. BMW is promising ‘a matchless combination of dynamic potency and finely balanced comfort’ thanks to those measures and M suspension that features new wheel carriers, a lower roll centre and aluminium components to reduce unsprung mass. The usual raft of M drive modes (now with five for the hybrid system as well!) will adjust the behaviour of the xDrive – with purely rear-drive possible – the powertrain, the gearbox, the suspension, the steering, the brake feel and the level of recuperation. So plenty to keep you busy, then. 

Additional highlights for the M5 Touring include a model-specific spoiler and diffuser, M multifunction seats, a Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System, four-zone air-con, a head-up display and ‘M-specific interior lighting’. Related to which, the front grille remains illuminated for this M5, which is a shame because it looks silly. Options alongside the towbar will include a panoramic roof, an electric rear blind, Parking Assistant Professional (potentially useful given the size), Alcantara headlining, cooled seats and M carbon mirror caps. Suffice it to say this is going to be the most lavish M5 ever.

The price is £112,500, which compares pretty favourably with the £111,405 for the four-door. If a very heavy, very expensive M car makes sense for you, then why not have the one in the fresh new bodystyle? Orders are open from today, production commences at Dingolfing in November, and deliveries should kick off early in the new year. 40 years since the first ever M5s arrived with customers, in fact…