BMW M5 Touring Becomes America's First M-Wagon

Despite having fallen out of favor with the average American decades ago, due to the rise of the minivan, station wagons have remained coveted by U.S. automotive enthusiasts. In most cases, they’re practical enough to serve as a household’s primary vehicle and don’t need to sacrifice desirable driving dynamics like you would on a crossover to make that happen.

Sadly, we don’t get that many options in North America. But, after much speculation, BMW has seen fit to ship the M5 Touring our way for the 2025 model year.

The Touring would be called an “estate car” for English speakers situated east of the Atlantic Ocean and a “station wagon” on the side we’re situated. But you won’t see BMW using either term in its marketing material. The automaker only ever references the M5 Touring as boasting a long wheelbase or elongated roofline. It wants potential buyers to focus on the fact that this is still an M5, just with some added utility.

Performance takes the lead on all M-badged vehicles and that’s solidified by powertrain the Touring shares with the M5 Sedan. The 4.4-liter V8 features twin turbochargers and uses the M Hybrid drive system, meaning it’s mated to an ell-electric motor. Combined, the duo are said to produce 717 horsepower and yield a 3.5-second time to 60 mph.

That’s about a tenth of a second slower than the sedan. But you’re also buying a larger and slightly heavier version of an automobile that was already getting portly. All in, the wagon weighs about 5,500 pounds.

The top speed of the M5 Touring is electronically limited to 155 mph. While that’s fast enough for most, the manufacturer will upgrade that figure to 190 mph if you buy into the M Driver's package. That said, this is an electronic limitation placed on the vehicle and hidden behind a paywall — which is becoming commonplace among automakers, albeit still quite scummy.

Of course, you’re not obligated to drive it fast all of the time. The all-electric portion of the powertrain can help launch the M5 from a dead stop or be used to pilot the vehicle calmly around town using nothing but battery power. But the trip would need to be relatively short if you’re hoping to make it home before needing to kick on the gasoline engine.

All-wheel drive is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic transmission. However, BMW said it is rear biased and select drive modes will allow the vehicle to be rear-drive on demand.

Pricing will surpass the already expensive M5 Sedan, which retails for $119,500 before you’ve added any fees or extras, by a couple thousand dollars. But the touring does seem to come with just about every creature comfort someone would want to see on a modern German luxury car. You’re getting premium sound, panoramic glass, and real leather by default — the latter of which you can upgrade to even nicer animal skins. But the rest is tied up inside BMW’s iDrive interface and not everyone likes the touchscreen-biased UX of modern luxury vehicles.

A lot of that comes down to customization, which is handy if you’re not the only person driving the M5 Touring. But there will also be loads of options you still have to select before taking ownership. BMW is offering nearly a dozen paint colors on the M5 Sedan, several wheel options, unique upholstery choices, and three separate interior trims. That’s all before you have to decide on the upgraded tech packages, optional carbon fiber components, or the executive package. All of that should carry over to the 2024 BMW M5 Touring, much of it adding to the final transaction price.

With production slated to commence later this year, don't expect to see any on the road until early 2025.

[Images: BMW Group]