BMW Reveals 601 hp i5, 5 Series Touring Models, and This is the One We Want

• i5, 5 Series Tourings are BMW for Wagon

• Long roofs get up to 601 hp

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This is the BMW 5 Series Touring. The station wagon variant of BMW’s mid-sizer. This is the 5er we want the most, and that we haven’t been able to get in years. BMW has dashed our dreams by making us think it would be available in North America and then retracting the statement.

Who wouldn’t love the 5 Series wagon? It delivers the handling of a 5 Series sedan, but can hold 570L of cargo in the boot or 1,700 when all of the seats are folded. Even in the PHEV model. That’s 70L more stuff with the seats up than the X5 SUV and basically the same with them folded. Plus it has a lower center of gravity. The new cabin has more leg, shoulder, and elbow room.

Two i5 Touring electric models will be offered from launch. The i5 M60 xDrive Touring makes 601 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque, and it is able to hit 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. The single-motor i5 eDrive40 Touring makes 340 hp and 317 lb-ft, and can hit 100 in 6.1. Both get an 81.2 kWh battery that delivers a range of up to 560 km on the WLTP cycle.

Diesel engines are also offered, making the 5 Series Touring even more forbidden fruit. The 520D makes 197 hp and 295 lb-ft, with a combined consumption figure in the mid 5 L/100 km range. A new six-cylinder diesel will come later, with two PHEVs as well.

M suspension, braking, and adaptive chassis are available, standard on i5 M60. That includes active steering, active roll control, and other of BMW’s latest driver-friendly suspension goodies.

The new 5 Series Wagon gets BMW OS 8.5, like the sedan, and that includes its massive curved display. The system includes YouTube video streaming and the AirConsole gaming platform. It can also be updated over the air.

A vegan interior is standard, which BMW calls Veganza. Hide is also offered, including BMW Individual Merino leather in plenty of colours.

So why did we think it would be sold in North America this time? Because BMW said so. When talking about the Driving Assistant Professional, BMW mentioned that one feature, Highway Assistant, will only be available in the U.S., Canada, and Germany. Which sounded to us like it meant the model would be sold here. BMW Canada replied to our query, saying “I wish I could tell you the i5 Touring was coming… but it’s not.” We are saddened but not surprised by the confirmation.

The model launch starts in May in Europe. More markets get the car in June of this year. No word on pricing, but expect it to be slightly higher than the comparable sedan variant.