BMW i5 M60

The electric version of the 5 Series Touring is a fine car with a wonderful cabin, but its range is compromised

- 

IT wasn’t long ago that estate car buyers would have been feeling pretty left out of the EV market. For years, there have been plenty of huge SUVs to choose from, but electric wagons were much thinner on the ground. With its i5 Touring, BMW was one of the first to offer a spacious, desirable estate that was just as usable as the petrol-powered equivalents — and now rivals like the Audi A6 and S6 Avant e-tron models aim to take away some of BMW’s glory. There’s still a huge amount to like about the i5, though, even if the Audi has revealed one or two areas where there's room for improvement.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE 4.5/5★

THE i5 is available with a choice of two powertrains. The eDrive40 is likely to make the most sense for most buyers; with up to 365 miles of range and 335bhp, both its performance and range are more than adequate for typical estate car users.

The M60 xDrive is for those who are in a little more of a hurry, thanks to its twin-motor set-up. It has the same 335bhp motor that’s fitted in the back of the eDrive40, but that’s backed up by another 257bhp motor driving the front axle, and these combine to deliver 593bhp and up to 820Nm in ‘Boost’ mode. Officially, the M60 Touring will crack the 0-62mph dash in 3.9 seconds. That’s a tenth of a second behind its saloon counterpart, but a match for the S6 Avant e-tron, here. The throttle response is well judged: keen enough to react so that it feels as potent as you’d expect it to, but not so sharp that it feels hyperactive. At any speed, there’s loads of performance in reserve, with strong acceleration available well beyond the national speed limit.

DRIVING 4.0/5★