G91 BMW M5 Touring Breaks Cover As A 717 HP-Rated Super Wagon

The all-new, G91-gen BMW M5 Touring breaks cover as the brand’s new super wagon with an electrified V8 heart.

Following several teasers and leaked images, BMW has finally peeled the wraps off the all-new, G91-gen BMW M5 Touring. Based on the eighth-gen (G61) BMW 5 Series Touring wagon, the new M5 Touring is also the first M-badged wagon since the E61-gen M5 Touring that debuted way back in 2007.

As expected, the new BMW M5 Touring uses the same V8 PHEV setup as its saloon twin.

Just like its saloon-bodied twin, the new M5 Touring gets its motivation from the same V8-based plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain setup, which is also used on the manic XM super-SUV. This potent setup features a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged S68 V8 mill rated at 577 HP and 750 NM as its core, which is then augmented to a single electric motor rated at 194 HP and 281 NM to deliver a very healthy total system output of 717 HP and 1,000 NM.

Given its long-roofed body style, the new M5 Touring’s straight-line performance has been cut a bit short compared to its saloon twin. Thanks (or not) to the extra 63 KG, this super wagon’s 0-96 KM/H (0-60 MPH) sprint time reads at 3.5 seconds compared to the M5 saloon’s 3.4 seconds performance, while its V-Max tops at 248 KM/H or 305 KM/H with the M Driver’s package installed.

Despite this extra heft, the M5 Touring benefits from a better weight distribution, with BMW claiming the car to have near 50:50 weight distribution thanks to its longer wheelbase, wider tracks, and lower centre of gravity.

Besides better weight distribution, you’ll also get an arguably better and meaner-looking car in the M5 Touring compared to the saloon version. Naturally, the front half of the car remains the same as the saloon model, as the M5 Touring also features the flared-out front fenders and wider stance that help to differentiate it from other non-M-badged 5 Series Touring models.

The big show for this car, of course, is the rear-half, which also features flared-out fenders, while the rear part is donned with the same aggressive rear bumper accents and quad pipes as we saw on the saloon model, plus a roof-mounted spoiler for good measure.

The long-roofed bodystyle allows the M5 Touring to harbour a sizable boot space of 500 litres, which can be extended to over 1,600 litres!

Unlike the M3 Touring, however, the new M5 Touring does not come with a split tailgate, as it instead opts for a more conventional powered boot hatch that opens to 500 litres of standard cargo space, which can be further expanded to over 1,600 litres once you fold down the rear seats.

While we’re here, it is good to note that the M5 Touring’s cabin features a perfect blend of sportiness and luxury. The former comes in the form of the M semi-bucket front seats, the sporty M-badged steering wheel, M aluminium foot pedals, the M-specific cabin ambient lighting system and graphics for the BMW OS 8.5-powered infotainment screen, and many more.’

Already made its inaugural public debut at the Pebble Beach Automotive Week, the all-new, G91-gen BMW M5 Touring is slated to make its global market entry later this year, with the US market being one of the lucky ones to be offered with this sporty super wagon. In said market, the new M5 Touring will set buyers handsomely at $121,500 (RM538,488) a pop, making it about $2,000 more expensive than the saloon version.

Given how unpopular wagons are amongst buyers in our market, coupled with the absence of any wagon models in BMW Group Malaysia’s current lineup, the chances for us to see one of these super wagons rolling down our backyards are very unlikely. With that being said, perhaps our chance now lies on the grey importers, although it may take a while before that happens.