When BMW unveiled the 5 Series Touring exactly a month ago, there were some notable omissions in the technical specification sheets. Surprisingly, there’s no version available at launch with a pure gasoline engine. You’ll be able to order the G61 wagon with a gas engine only by getting either the 530e or the 530e xDrive plug-in hybrids. The two PHEVs will go on sale this summer. A gas-only model should follow shortly as the 520i Touring.
Also missing from the initial lineup was the 550e xDrive, a variant already available as a sedan. However, this more potent PHEV model is also getting a longer roof, according to a new report from our German sister site Bimmer Today. It’s going to be one of just two versions of the 5 Series Touring powered by a six-cylinder engine, with the other being the 540d diesel.
The wagon’s technical specifications should mirror those of the saloon, which has a 3.0-liter engine that produces 313 hp and 450 Nm and an electric motor good for another 197 hp and 280 Nm. It enables a total system output of 489 hp and an ample 700 Nm of torque. In the case of the sedan, the electrified setup is good for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). Running solely on electric power, the 550e xDrive Sedan tops out at 87 mph (140 km/h).
Much like the lesser 530e models, the more potent variant has a lithium-ion battery pack with a usable energy capacity of 19.4 kWh. The sedan has a WLTP rating in electric mode of 83 to 90 kilometers (51.5 to 56 miles), but the wagon might have slightly lower efficiency and acceleration numbers because it weighs a smidge more.
Expect to pay slightly more than the €77,300 BMW is currently charging for the 550e xDrive Sedan in Germany where the rear-wheel-drive 530e is €64,850. Of course, that’s before options, which are plentiful.
Source: Bimmer Today
