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The new BMW M5 Touring arrives as a long-roof heavyweight that rewrites the estate-car brief with 717 bhp of plug-in-hybrid shove and the road presence of a grand tourer. Built on the G99 platform, the wagon marries a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 to an electric motor, channelled through an eight-speed automatic and rear-biased xDrive, giving it ample authority to dispatch sweeping dual carriageways while gliding in near silence when the battery alone does the work.
Out on fast A-roads, the two-and-a-half-tonne leviathan behaves more like a grand coupé than a utility haulier. Adaptive dampers dial out pitch, rear-wheel steering adds agility, and the M-calibrated differential keeps the rear end poised under punchy exits. Switch to the rear-drive mode and the drivetrain still feels reassuring rather than unruly, allowing confident power slides without needing racetrack levels of commitment. For day-to-day use, the electric-only range covers commuter mileage with ease, and the transition between power sources is almost seamless.
Cabin craftsmanship sits at the luxury end of BMW’s scale, yet the dashboard is dominated by illuminated trim and giant curved displays that can feel overwhelming. The sports seats are deep and supportive, rear passengers enjoy generous legroom, and when the backrests are folded, the load bay swallows bikes, flat-pack furniture or holiday luggage with van-like ease—just be wary of that climate-control touchscreen perched at the end of the boot floor when sliding timber aboard.
Driven steadily, the M5 Touring settles into a supple stride, isolating occupants from coarse surfaces and wind noise while still delivering crisp steering response. Push harder and it reveals immense reserves of power, but the chassis’ composure encourages measured progress rather than back-road brawling. Its true talent is crossing countries at motorway velocity, leaving driver and crew fresh on arrival, all while looking like a rolling piece of performance theatre.
For enthusiasts who crave wagon practicality without surrendering super-saloon firepower, the BMW M5 Touring stands alone. It may not evoke the analogue purity of Nineties M-cars, and its high-tech interior will polarise opinion, yet as a modern battlecruiser built for rapid grand touring, it delivers an absorbing blend of pace, refinement and everyday usefulness that few rivals can match.
