New BMW M5 Touring launched in South Africa – Pricing and features

BMW has officially launched the new M5 Touring in South Africa.

The Touring is the Estate counterpart to the M5 Sedan that made its local debut last year, offering the same high-octane performance in a new body style with a much larger boot.

The M5 Touring is available at a starting price of R2,795,000, making it R30,000 more than the sedan.

Each purchase includes a 2-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, a 5-year/100,000km maintenance plan, and an 8-year/100,000km hybrid battery warranty.

Performance

Under the hood of the M5 is a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, which generates an impressive 430kW and 750Nm.

BMW clearly thought this wasn’t enough, as it has paired the combustion engine with a powerful electric motor that can produce 145kW and 280Nm all on its own.

Put together, the hybrid system can summon a total of 535kW and 1,000Nm, letting the Touring rocket from 0 to 100km/h in 3.5 seconds, and 0 to 200km/h in 10.9 seconds.

Its top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h, but buyers can increase this all the way to 305km/h with the optional M Driver’s package.

The electric motor is powered by an 18.6kWh battery, which allows the M5 to travel 69km without using any fuel.

Owners can then top up the cells using a 7.4kWh AC outlet, which will achieve a 100% charge in just over three hours.

Other track-themed additions include an eight-speed automatic gearbox and an M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with an Active M Differential on the rear axle.

It also comes with adaptive M suspension and rear-wheel steering, which allows the back wheels to turn up to 1.5 degrees to improve maneuverability at low speeds.

The German carmaker has fitted the car with an electronically controlled quad exhaust system and an “Iconic Sounds” package that mimics engine noises even while in the electric driving mode.

As for the wheels, the M5 sports a set of M Compound brakes and M light alloy rims, which are wrapped in high-performance tyres.

Features

Looking at the interior, you’ll find a flat-bottom M leather steering wheel with paddle shifters, and BMW’s Live Cockpit display, consisting of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen.

The heated M sports seats are wrapped in Merino leather, and the cabin is fitted with ambient lighting strips.

Other features include keyless entry and start, four-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system, and a wireless charging tray.

It also comes with driver assistance and safety functions such as adaptive cruise control, front-collision warning, lane-departure warning with steering assistance, evasion assist, driver attention monitoring, speed limit info, blind spot detection, parking sensors, a surround-view camera, and a parking assistant.

BMW M5 Touring