This week is a biggie for BMW. Tomorrow we get the full lowdown on the new 5-Series sedan and its electric i5 brother. But we’ll have to wait a few more months to hear about the Touring wagon versions of each, which are hard at work putting their own test miles in at the Nurburgring.
An electric family wagon isn’t the kind of car most of us would pick for a hot-lap session at the Nurburgring, but if it’s got a BMW roundel on the nose (even if it’s under a ton of disguise) the company’s R&D test team have to give it the ’Ring treatment. And since the i5 pictured here is simply an electrified version of the new 5-Series, we’ve every reason to believe it’ll be fun to drive.
This i5 wagon certainly looks pretty tidy through the curves, though maybe that’s because it appears to be an M60 derivative with big brakes, fat rubber, rear-axle steering, and a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with a beefy 590 hp (598 PS). It’s also likely to be rocking the optional active roll control suspension system, which is sure to be a useful tool if you plan on pushing a car that probably weighs close to 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) in electric wagon form.
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Drivers happy to settle for rather less power and a rear-wheel drive layout will be able to order a cheaper i5 eDrive40 with 335 hp (340 PS). Though not as fast, the 40 does have the advantage of improving the electric driving range. BMW has already confirmed that sedan M60 is good for 273-333 WLTP miles (439-536 km) and the eDrive40 stretches that to 293-364 miles (472-586 km), though we imagine you could chop 70 percent off those numbers at Nurburgring speeds. The heavier Touring won’t be quite as long-legged as the sedan, but the figures shouldn’t be too dissimilar.
If the M60’s inferior range is a real deal-breaker you could always order the 40 and specify the optional M Sport package to make it look very similar to the M60. And speaking of visual similarities, the i5 and 5-Series will share the same body and conventional (as opposed to split) headlights, meaning you’ll have to look out for the i5’s blanked-off grille (available optionally with an illuminated surround), lack of exhaust pipes and blue and silver ‘i’ badges to know you’re not looking at the regular combustion 5-Series.
Since the i5 sedan is being unveiled this week and will be on sale in October we’re expecting the wagon to be revealed in the summer and available by the end of the year. Would you take an i5 over the same car with a more familiar combustion drivetrain?
