New 5 Series Touring big on EVS

BMW's exec estate will be sold in the UK initially with two EV options and a PHEV

- GREG KABLE

The new BMW 5 Series Touring will be launched in the UK in May with the choice of plug-in hybrid and electric drivetrains, including a dual-motor M-badged EV with nearly 600bhp.

The first BMW estate to offer an electric drivetrain option arrives six months after the launch of the eighth-generation 5 Series saloon, with which it shares its edgy design.

Styling changes over the saloon are concentrated behind the B-pillar, where the new 5 Series Touring receives a longer roof, altered rear doors, an extended glasshouse and an angled tailgate that features a pronounced spoiler and other aerodynamic elements to help smooth airflow around the rear window.

The new model is bigger than the previous, fifth-generation 5 Series Touring, which was launched in 2017. Length is up by 97mm to 5060mm, width by 32mm to 1900mm and height by 17mm to 1515mm. The wheelbase has also been extended by 20mm to 2995mm.