The upcoming, eight-generation BMW 5 Series Touring has been spied for the first time ahead of its expected reveal during either 2023 or 2024.
It’s unclear if the next-generation 5 Series Touring will be coming to Australia as the current-generation model was axed back in 2020 when the facelift was introduced.
The 5 Series Touring is expected to follow soon after the 5 Series sedan, which has been spied in prototype form a number of times already.
Our spy photographers captured a brief glimpse of the rear of this BMW 5 Series Touring prototype which was parked between a Rolls-Royce Spectre and Mini Hatch prototype.
Pointing out the obvious, the 5 Series Touring appears to have a typical wagon-style body with a long roof and a tailgate opening to the boot. It’s very similar to the current-generation model in this manner.
This 5 Series Touring prototype also shares similar design themes with prototype versions of the next-generation 5 Series sedan as it has sleek, rounded elements and smooth character lines.
Although our spy photographers weren’t able to capture any photos of the front of the 5 Series Touring, it’s expected it will share the wide double-kidney grille and headlight assembly with the sedan.
Previous spy photos have also revealed the cabin of the next 5er will feature a dual-screen setup, as is quickly becoming the norm in BMW’s model range, with the latest iDrive 8 operating system.
It’s unclear if this prototype is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or all-electric, as there are stickers on the prototype that read ‘Electrified Vehicle’.
As previously reported, the next-generation BMW 5 Series will be offered with a range of combustion and PHEV powertrains. There’s also going to be an all-electric version called the i5.
While the i5 will give BMW a direct rival to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQE and upcoming Audi A6 e-tron, the next-generation M5 isn’t expected to go all-electric just yet.
i5 spied prototype 
M5 spied prototype
It’s expected to borrow the PHEV powertrain from the recently-revealed XM SUV, which consists a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 with 360kW/650Nm, a 145kW/280Nm electric motor, and a 25.7kWh battery pack. Total system outputs are 480kW of power and 800Nm of torque.
Bimmerpost forum member ynguldyn, who claims to compile future product information from leaks within BMW, said in June this year the next M5 will come in both sedan and Touring wagon body styles.
The mooted M5 Touring would once again give BMW a rival to the Audi RS6 and Mercedes-AMG E63 wagons.
The current-generation BMW 5 Series has been on sale since 2016 and was facelifted in 2020.
Its arch-rival, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, is also set to be revealed in redesigned form during 2023. It has been spied in both sedan and wagon forms too.
Click on the images to view the full gallery.
MORE: Everything BMW 5 Series
