There’s going to be a very fast BMW 5 Series wagon in the near future. However, it isn’t going to be an M5 Touring. Instead, it’s going to be the all-electric BMW i5 Touring and it has the potential to be one of the best all-around BMWs on the market when it finally debuts. In some new spy photos, we get a good look at the i5 Touring, to start building up steam on the hype train. (We don’t own the spy photos but they can be seen here)
The BMW i5 isn’t going to have radically different styling from the normal 5 Series, so the i5 Touring does sort of just look like a 5 Series Touring. However, you can tell that this is the electric one from a few design cues. One is the lack of visible exhausts. Aside from the new X1, BMW doesn’t really do hidden exhausts like Mercedes and Audi do. So when you don’t see pipes out the back of a Bimmer, it’s most likely electric. Also, its grilles are flat, without any air intakes in them, as EVs require little to no front air intake. Lastly, there are big “Electric Test Vehicle” badges on almost ever side of the car…
When it debuts, the BMW i5 Touring will come with similar powertrains to the current BMW i4. So expect a single-motor BMW i5 Touring eDrive40, with around 335 horsepower, and a top-end i5 Touring M60, with two motors and around 610 horsepower. Though, it’s unlikely the i5 will get the same eDrive35 entry-level variant that the i4 gets. But it’s the M60 version I want to focus on here. Judging by the cool two-tone wheels on this test mule, it’s possible that’s the one we’re looking at and, if it is, that means we’re looking at the first high-performance BMW 5 Series wagon since the E61 M5 Touring, just this time it’s all electric. With around 600 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a wagon body style, the BMW i5 Touring could be the ultimate daily driver.
Design wise, the BMW i5 Touring will likely feature slimmer, modern looking headlights, and simple faux kidney grilles. Similar to the i4 and iX, the grilles are replaced with black plastic panels, though expect the i5’s to be more like the i4’s, without the cool self-healing film of the iX’s grille panels. Down the side of the car, it gets the same flush-style door handles as the i4 and an attractive looking Hofmeister Kink.
And as you’d expect, the BMW i5 Touring or regular 5 Series Touring won’t come to the United States. Instead, we are getting the sedan version of the two, but with a twist: the G99 M5 Touring based on the G60 5 Series will indeed land on this side of the pond.
[Source: Car Scoops / Top Render: motor.es]
via Tingle Cars