Nobody could accuse BMW of not giving its customers a choice. In the most comprehensive 5 Series offering yet, there are petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and electric derivatives available for the eighth generation. Talk about covering all the bases. Already, not long after its launch, the range is expansive enough to get you from £50k 520d to an i5 that’s twice the money and more than three times as powerful. With two variants of plug-in M5 to come. At this rate, the 5 Series GT hatch will be making a comeback.
Even in a sprawling lineup, however, the introduction of an electric 5 Series Touring feels significant. Partly because it’s exactly that - this isn’t some mad flagship SUV or crazy expensive supercar. Pure EV is just a powertrain option, much as petrol and diesel have been for so long - albeit the first available model this time around. Indeed, it actually looks something of a coup, given the enduring popularity of the executive wagon (Germany buys more 5er dog carriers than saloons, and 95 per cent of 5 Series Tourings will find homes in Europe) to have this on sale ahead of the Audi A6 e-tron or anything that’s likely to follow from Mercedes or Volvo. Not everyone wants an electric SUV, after all. BMW even goes so far as to claim that the i5 Touring is the first car of its kind, neatly avoiding any comparison with the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo with its higher price and lesser carrying capacity.
This feels like quite a convenient get-out clause - what is the Taycan if not an electric estate car? - although it’s easier to understand the logic when presented with the BMW. It’s properly vast, filling up design studios, parking spaces and even motorway lanes. Interestingly, the dimensions are identical to the saloon, and the electric one loses nothing in terms of boot space to any models with engines: 570 litres with the seats up, 1,700 litres with them down. Towing capacity is between 1,500kg and 2,000kg, and the BMW Accessories catalogue is on hand for all your adventure lifestyle needs, from bike carriers to roof box. Those who want to do the estate thing properly with an i5 are being encouraged to do exactly that.
The interior is pretty glorious, too. The compromise between functionality and opulence, sense of occasion and usability, is very neatly struck. Details like the light bar across the dash and the clarity of the screens elevate the aura way above your average 5 Series expectation, while an iDrive dial and reasonably familiar button locations help it to seem welcoming. There’s space front and back for big folk, the material quality feels beyond reproach and the seats are supreme. There are too many controls on the wheel, sure, and changing drive mode takes you away from the nav screen (which is irritating) but overall the cabin is very impressive.
The launch route sees some autobahn action almost immediately. It’s a very good method for endearing you to the car because nothing demonstrates what it’s good at like motorway miles. And, historically speaking, for private and company buyers alike, that's where this car is going to spend a lot of its time. No coincidence then that the i5 is superb on a multi-lane road, unerringly stable, fantastically refined and hugely cosseting. In an M60 there’s absolutely no danger of falling behind any fast lane traffic, either, that initial acceleration wallop not tailing off into three figures. High-speed running doesn’t crucify the range, either. It feels built for mile after mile and hour after hour of mollifying the motorway. Just as any good 5 Series would.
The autobahn also means a chance to try BMW’s new Highway Assistant, which offers Level 2+ automated driving. Certified for use in a few markets now (but not the UK at the moment), it’s easily controlled and works well when the circumstances are favourable: lane changes, acceleration and slowing down are all very smooth. It can seem a tad indecisive when quick solutions are required, and this middle ground between driving and complete autonomy feels odd - if it’s not possible (or legal) to leave driving to the car, why not just drive yourself? Hardly like a car of this ilk is taxing to steer.
Anyway. On smaller roads the M60's punch is undeniable - that headline figure may only be a launch overboost function, yet even at its constant 517hp figure the i5 feels faster than the more powerful, lighter M550i ever did. This isn’t at the shocking end of EV performance, although an M5 is going to have to be a monster of a car to feel meaningfully more accelerative. Or perhaps it will only make its superiority known above the i5’s 143mph limiter. Either way, you’ll never realistically want for more performance from a family estate. It’s interesting to note, however, that the aggressiveness of the M60’s pricing - £100,000 before a single option - does unavoidably take it into Taycan territory, regardless of how BMW wants to pitch it. A 4S is less powerful (544hp overboost, 462hp otherwise) and less capacious - before even thinking about parity on equipment - but a 150kg weight saving means it is a tad faster. And marginally cheaper.
The i5 is a very capable cornerer, without ever injecting much excitement into the process. This is sort of where sub-M5 5 Series have always sat, and there’s no doubt that this generation is considerably more accomplished than what’s come before. Its ability to deliver both a pillowy-soft ride and decent body control is striking, even on the optional 21s, though no doubt massaged here with optional active anti-roll (and very smooth tarmac). The i5 isn’t one of those EVs that ever feels smaller and lighter than its (hefty) dimensions and kerbweight suggest, but never does the ability to manage its mass come into question. It just does what’s required, every time: always willing to turn in, always staying true to its line, always surging out with mega traction. On the one hand, some might say that an M car of any stripe ought to offer the driver a little more reward - the M60 doesn’t engage you quite like a Taycan would. On the other, if you were inclined to label this large, plush, fast people mover a luxury car, it would be hard to argue. Its minimum fuss, maximum effectiveness approach is perfectly suited to the description.
But as die-hard enthusiasts, it would certainly be nice to be able to impose yourself on proceedings a little more; to have more adjustability in the regen (as well as a weightier pedal) and more obviously tweakable traction control. Yet it’s hard to meaningfully pick fault with a car that gets so much done with such authority. It inspires lavish confidence. The 5 Series has never been the world’s most exciting saloon or estate, rather it’s delivered across the board for generations - and that quality is unmistakable.
Encouragingly, a drive in the slightly more affordable eDrive 40 demonstrates that the experience is there in the fundamentals rather than the M glitter. Arguably these two felt more similar than the equivalent saloons did last year. Certainly the M60 didn’t offer a meaningfully more invigorating drive; perhaps tauter and a little keener to turn - and significantly faster, sure - but there is no night and day difference. Being lighter, rear-drive and anti-roll-less, the eDrive 40 delivers a more traditional approach, with a bit of lean and settled balance, more than adequate performance and that same imperious hush. Bugs splattering against the windscreen never seemed such an annoying sound before the i5.
Perhaps the most telling thing about both new wagons is that during a full day of testing, there was never any need or want to swap battery power for something with a fuel tank. Granted, the lack of hassle that comes with a pre-planned route and guaranteed charge points contribute to that impression (up to 205kW when it’s needed), as will the demise of the V8 in anything cheaper than an M5 - but having experienced the peace and cohesion of the electric 5 Series there’s precious little thought given over to combustion. A 530e Touring is coming that’s £10k less than an eDrive40; such is the serenity on offer here that a mere four-cylinder might jar a little. And possibly not drive as well.
As for the M60, it feels a slightly tougher sell in the way that so many performance EVs do - even if it proved very nearly as efficient on this test as the car with significantly less horsepower, at 2.8mi/kWh against 2.9 in similar driving. But without a huge step up in driver appeal, it's hard to justify it over the highly accomplished eDrive 40 without having a derestricted autobahn on your commute. And despite BMW's claims, it’s impossible to avoid the Taycan once you’re into that price territory. So we’re waiting on the M5 Touring to deliver a truly memorable electrified M wagon, regardless of how sorted the M60 is. This means that for a family EV estate car that combines traditional, capacious charm with a heap of modern tech, the i5 eDrive 40 is currently in pole position. Bring on that A6 e-tron.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 BMW I5 M60 XDRIVE
Engine: 81.2kWh lithium-ion battery, twin current excited synchronous electric motors (192kW front, 250kW rear)
Transmission: single-stage fixed ratio auto, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 601 (My Mode Sport, otherwise 517hp)
Torque (lb ft): 605 (M Launch Control, otherwise 586lb ft)
0-62mph: 3.9secs
Top speed: 143mph (limited)
Weight: 2,350kg (DIN)
MPG: 2.99-3.40 mi/kWh, range 277-314 miles, max 205kW charging
CO2: 0g/km driving
Price: £99,995
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