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Pros: Comfort, practicality, fast charging.
Cons: Expensive, consumption at high speeds.
BMW i5 Touring Design
The new Touring has grown in all directions compared to its previous iteration. This is a handsome hunk of a car, particularly finished in a dark colour like Black Sapphire, which disguises the estate’s extra bulk well. Opt for the M Sport Pro pack, and a thin LED strip lights up the outline of the iconic kidney grille to dramatic effect. The standard wheel size for Sport and M Sport models is 19-inch though there is the option to upgrade to 20s and 21s.
BMW i5 Touring Interior
The cabin has had a massive digital upgrade with the integration of the BMW Curved Display for the very first time. The driving position and comfort behind the wheel is top class, with standard Veganza leather upholstery adding to the plush feel. It certainly feels like a 5 Series from behind the chunky BMW steering wheel and the infotainment display is also reassuringly familiar with the traditional iDrive controller present and correct on the centre console. There’s also a few shortcut buttons, gesture control and voice control, which acts as a handy personal assistant.
The Touring’s higher roofline makes the rear seat a brighter and more pleasant place for rear seat passengers, though the large transmission tunnel in the centre means it’s still more comfortable for two. There’s loads of legroom and features like four-zone climate control and heated rear seats are available as part of the Comfort Plus Pack. The rear seats also fold 40:20:40. The i5 Touring’s boot is 570 litres, which is the same as the plug-in hybrid and 80 litres more than the i5 Saloon.
BMW i5 Touring Performance & Drive
The i5 Touring eDrive40 uses the same 340hp motor as the Saloon to send power to the rear wheels. There’s up to 430Nm of torque available from the Boost paddle behind the steering wheel. The i5 Touring delivers its power smoothly with 0-100km/h in just 6.1 seconds. There’s a solid and secure feel through bends, with light steering that allows you to thread the i5 through bends with precision. But there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a heavy car when the pressure is really on.
Comfort and refinement levels are excellent making it a great motorway cruiser. Touring models add self-levelling suspension at the rear for more comfort, even when fully loaded.
The i5 Touring has a sizable 81.2kWh battery, which BMW quotes a range up to 535 kilometres. Range can vary a lot in real world driving. For instance, in a motorway test cruising at 120km/h on a cold, wet September morning, our average consumption was 23kWh, which translates to about 350 kilometres on a full battery charge. But with the i5’s fast charging capacity up to 205kW, you won’t be left wanting at the fast-charging station. A 10-80% battery charge is possible in about 30 minutes. The navigation system helps you to find the nearest charging points and will pre-condition the battery for optimum charging. The system also displays the percentage of battery charge for when you get to your destination, which is useful for journey planning.
BMW i5 Touring Pricing
The new i5 Touring Sport is available from €85,985 and the M Sport is available from €93,875. The high-performance i5 M60 xDrive Touring is available from €123,553.
Carzone Verdict
The new BMW i5 Touring sweeps into the market as a premium estate car ahead of rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz – and does it in considerable style. There’s the added practicality of the Touring over the Saloon, and it’s arguably a better-looking car overall. Comfort remains a top priority behind the wheel, with BMW’s digital tech keeping it high on the desirability list. It's not the most efficient large car at motorway speeds, but the fast charging capability means it can make the most of motorway charge points.