BMW i5 Touring review: A sleek electric estate car

The BMW i5 Touring is the electric version of the latest 5 Series Touring, one of the most important cars in the German firm’s line-up. The 5 Series is a real money-spinner and, as the world embraces electric cars, so there’s now this all-electric version, called i5.

Being a Touring estate model makes it a real rarity in the EV world right now. There are very few electric estates, and arch-rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi don’t (yet) offer a direct alternative. Given how well estate cars sell to company car drivers, who get maximum tax-saving benefits from EVs, this really does make it advantage BMW.

The latest BMW i5 is a seriously impressive car anyway. It’s been thoroughly reinvented as an ultra-modern electric luxury car, with loads of onboard tech, plus plenty of cutting-edge features that make life that bit more fun: In-car gaming, anyone?

It’s certainly a big car, measuring over five metres long, but these luxury car dimensions are matched with luxury-car comfort and refinement onboard. Mind you, that’s a good thing, helping justify pretty punchy pricing that starts from £70,000. The top-spec model costs over £100k.

At least the BMW i5 Touring ticks all the right EV boxes to justify this. It has a range of over 340 miles, and even the core version has the sort of performance that would see off a BMW M3 from not too long ago. Most importantly, it feels like a proper BMW to drive, with plenty of feedback through the steering and loads of dynamism on twisty roads. Just be sure not to go too crazy if you’re also making the most of that huge load area.

I drove the BMW i5 Touring for a day on very challenging roads around rural Gloucestershire. I then had a quick bite to eat while it charged back up, then I drove it home to spend an extra week putting it through its paces in everyday life.

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Independent rating: 9/10

The BMW i5 Touring has a simple battery line-up – just the single 84kWh unit. This is generously-sized and helps provide a range of up to 344 miles in the most efficient configuration of i5 Touring. That’s around 15 miles less than the most efficient i5 saloon, due to the Touring estate’s extra dimensions and less aerodynamic shape.

There are currently two BMW i5 Touring variants, The core version is the eDrive 40, a rear-wheel drive model producing 340PS. This gives 0-62mph performance in 6.1 seconds. The very expensive range-topping model is the M60 xDrive, with all-wheel drive and a fearsome 601PS, for 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds.

The 84kWh battery comes with high-power DC charging capability as standard, at a rate of up to 205kW. This means that, at a high-power charging station, it can go from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes. No wonder Richard’s lunch was so quick…

Even the regular BMW i5 Touring eDrive 40 is a delight to drive. It handles beautifully, combining confident precision with plenty of smiles per mile. Yet it rides really well too, soaking up bumps smoothly. This makes it a consummate long-distance tourer, particularly as overall noise levels are so low.

The BMW i5 Touring has a magnificent interior. Even when you step in, it surprises you, with the glitzy illuminated dashboard trim panels lighting up in a neat sequence. You can choose different ‘moods’, all of which see these intricate panels bathed in a different array of colours. It really is very futuristic.

The front seats have an enormous range of adjustment, and the seats themselves are very comfortable, particularly the M Sport chairs. Two people in the rear will feel very happy too, with lots of leg and headroom, although the beefy transmission tunnel does eat into space for a third person.

The centrepiece of the BMW i5 Touring is its 570-litre boot, which is huge, even by large estate car standards. The space is really well-shaped, with wide, squared-off sides and a flat floor, and folding the 40/20/40-split rear seats sees this flat load space continue. This expands the space to a massive 1,700 litres.

Compared to the BMW i5 saloon, the i5 Touring is a great deal more practical, particularly as the huge (and electrically-operated) tailgate means the opening itself is very large. It’s a shame BMW no longer fits a separately-opening tailgate glass window, though.

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The BMW Curved Display infotainment system is stunning. It combines a 12.3-inch driver display with a 14.9-inch central touchscreen, which is blended into one panel behind a premium-looking piece of glass.

The latest iDrive infotainment setup is logical and easy to use, and works well with BMW’s feature-packed app. It even allows drivers to set their own ‘wallpaper’ for the screen, and other favourite settings – meaning that as they approach the car, the seat will shift to their position, the climate control will alter and other individual aspects will be tailored.

BMW is going big on apps too, with a growing range of fun features even now including an in-car gaming function. Perfect for passing away the minutes while recharging – so long as you don’t forget your wireless gaming controller.

It’s a shame there are no physical climate control buttons, though – they are now embedded within the touchscreen system itself. You can say ‘Hey BMW’ and ask the car to change the temperature, and there are numerous other functions that can be controlled by voice.

Even as standard, the BMW i5 Touring comes with a premium Harman Kardon sound system. Some may feel they simply don’t need more – but for those that do, there’s an optional Bowers & Wilkins stereo, with almost cinema-grade sound.

The BMW i5 Touring is an expensive car. Even the entry-level Sport version is £70k, and the upgraded M Sport version that everyone prefers adds at least another £7,000. The options list will be tempting until you see the prices, although BMW does allow you to add on certain features after purchase, though an online store hosted within the infotainment system.

The BMW i5 Touring may prove relatively reasonable in terms of insurance, with the core eDrive 40 models having a group 43 rating. This is way below the ratings for a Tesla Model Y. Needless to say, the high-performance range-topper does fall into the top rating, with the insurance bills to match.

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The BMW i5 Touring can rapid-charge at a rate of up to 205kW, going from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

The BMW i5 Touring is an undeniably very expensive car, but few other EVs can match its estate car practicality, and the high-tech, luxury experience it delivers is very special too.

The BMW i5 Touring stands out right away for being an electric estate car, something few can match. The extra practicality is a given, and it helps make this executive-grade electric car even more appealing to live with. It’s immediately clear that BMW really has upped its game with this latest electric 5 Series.