BMW M5 Touring: The Last Great Combustion Wagon?
Sarah Lin
· 8 min read
The BMW M5 Touring represents something increasingly rare in the automotive world: a full-fat, high-performance station wagon with a combustion engine at its heart.
Yes, it's a plug-in hybrid now — the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 is paired with an electric motor for a combined 727 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque. But make no mistake: this car's soul is pure internal combustion.
On the autobahn, the M5 Touring is devastating. The V8 delivers its power with a ferocity that the electric assist only amplifies. 0-100 km/h takes just 3.5 seconds — in a wagon that can carry a full set of luggage and a family of four.
However, the elephant in the room is the weight. Tipping the scales at nearly 2,500 kg, this is a massively heavy vehicle. The engineering required to hide that weight is staggering. BMW's adaptive suspension does an excellent job of keeping the body flat through corners, and the active roll stabilization works overtime to maintain composure. But physics cannot be entirely defeated; under heavy braking or in tight switchbacks, you feel the mass shifting.
The plug-in hybrid system isn't just for performance. In purely electric mode, the M5 Touring can travel up to 69 km (WLTP), enough for most daily commutes. It transforms the car into a silent, emissions-free grocery getter, in stark contrast to its autobahn-storming alter ego. This duality of character is perhaps its greatest achievement.
Inside, it's typical modern BMW. The massive curved display dominates the dashboard, running the latest iDrive 8.5 software. The M-specific graphics are sharp, and the carbon-fiber bucket seats (an expensive option) are both supportive and comfortable for long journeys. In the back, there's 500 liters of cargo space, expanding to over 1,600 liters with the seats down.
At €144,900, this is not a cheap car, and fully optioned, it easily pushes past €170,000. It faces stiff competition from the Audi RS6 Avant and the upcoming electrified Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. But as one of the last of its kind, offering this level of V8 theater combined with family practicality, it stands alone. It's an absolute triumph of engineering over physics, and a fitting tribute to the M division's legacy.