This might just be the most attractive G61 build we’ve seen so far. Granted, the new 5 Series Touring was unveiled only a few days ago and the hotter M5 wagon isn’t due until later in 2024. In the meantime, a walkaround video highlights the M Performance model. Usually, that would mean the M550i but a V8 wagon from Bavaria sadly isn’t available anymore.
Instead, the M Lite 5 Series with a long roof is now completely electric. This i5 M60 Touring is painted in Fire Red, also known as Vegas Red in the United States where the G61 will remain a forbidden fruit. The luxury wagon from Bavaria is shown here with the 21-inch wheels (Style 954) and the M Sport Package Pro. The latter combines Shadowline accents – including for the headlights – with red brake calipers and M colors on the seatbelts.
We’ll be seeing a variation of that kidney grille with its horizontal bars on the M5 G90 Sedan and the M5 G99 Touring. The latter is slated to receive bulging fenders and a quad exhaust system to set it apart from this not-quite-M wagon. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but we believe the estate looks better than the sedan, and you get the extra practicality of a wagon.
BMW could’ve made the new 5 Series Touring even more practical but chose not to. The G61 has lost the rear glass opening its predecessors had. That means you’ll have to open the whole tailgate to access the cargo compartment. The feature remains available for the smaller 3 Series Touring but we won’t be too surprised if the next-generation model will eschew this handy feature.
The sixth-generation 5 Series wagon has what it takes to be all the car one could ever need. It combines space and pace with an upscale interior and plenty of technology. However, we will miss the old dashboard layout with more traditional buttons but as with most of the other automakers, BMW is getting rid of regular controls. A further simplification is planned for the EVs on the Neue Klasse platform where the iDrive controller will be absent.
BMW plans to have the revamped 5er wagon on sale in Europe and Japan from May 2024, with other markets to follow a month later.
Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube
