The dream car exists, and it's neither electric nor an SUV: meet the new BMW M5 Touring

It isn’t an SUV, but with its estate bodywork and a 500-litre boot it is more than versatile enough for family travel, and it can even tow a trailer of 2,000 kg. Nor is it an electric car, although it can run as one up to a speed of 140 km/h and cover around 60 km without burning any fuel, which lets you get around the city enjoying the benefits of the CERO environmental label from the DGT. And now for the best part: few, very few cars are able to keep up with it on a circuit. Yes, the dream car exists, and it is called the BMW M5 Touring. It will reach the market in November.

The German brand has thus brought back the estate version for the new generation of the BMW M5, creating a car that has practically no rival. The closest alternative would be the Audi RS 6 Avant, with its twin-turbo V8 engine and mild hybridisation, which in its Performance version produces 630 CV. Another option, now that the Sport Turismo version of the Panamera has disappeared from the catalogue, would be the Taycan Cross Turismo, which in this case is 100% electric and available in Turbo versions with 680 CV, and Turbo S with 761 CV.

A high-flying estate: 727 CV, 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds

Logically, the M5 Touring shares its technical features with the M5 saloon, so under the bonnet we find the same hybrid propulsion system: a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with hybrid technology capable of revving up to a maximum of 7,200 rpm for a system output of 535 kW (727 CV) and a maximum torque of 1,000 Nm. The electric motor integrated into the 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox produces 197 CV and a maximum torque of 280 Nm on its own. The high-voltage battery has a usable capacity of 18.6 kWh, and can be charged with alternating current at a maximum power of 11 kW.

The weight difference compared with the saloon makes the estate accelerate a tenth of a second slower, reaching 100 km/h from standstill in 3.6 seconds. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h in both cases, although there is a package with an even more sporty and performance-focused approach that removes this limit and allows speeds of up to 305 km/h.

As standard, the M5 Touring comes with the M xDrive all-wheel drive system, which is set up to give clear prominence to the rear axle, although a 2WD mode can also be selected that sends all the power to the rear wheels and disconnects the stability control. The M active electronically controlled differential has been specifically tuned for the particular characteristics of a hybrid propulsion system like that of the M5.

Other notable features include the sports exhaust, which is complemented by the BMW IconicSounds Electric system when driving in electric mode. The M adaptive suspension and the four-wheel steering are also standard equipment, as are the 20-inch wheels on the front axle and 21-inch wheels on the rear axle. Carbon-ceramic brakes are available as an option.

BMW M5 Touring – Image gallery