There is something quietly reassuring about a BMW Touring. For decades, it has been the thinking driver’s estate—subtle, capable, and possessed of a certain Teutonic restraint. Now, with the arrival of the BMW i5 Touring, that familiar formula is reimagined for the electric age. The question, inevitably, is whether the addition of batteries and software has diluted the essence or merely refined it.

At first glance, you might struggle to tell this is an electric car at all, and that feels entirely deliberate. Unlike some rivals that lean heavily into futurism, the i5 Touring looks, well, like a 5 Series estate. Long, purposeful, and crisply detailed, it carries itself with quiet confidence.

Inside, the impression is immediately polished. In recent years, BMW has found its stride with interior design, and the i5 Touring benefits accordingly. Materials are rich, the layout clean, and the curved digital display lends a modern edge without feeling overly intrusive. There is, however, a familiar caveat: the gradual erosion of physical buttons in favour of touchscreen controls. Progress, perhaps—but not universally welcome. In practice it is all much easier to use than many rivals’ systems.

Out on the road, the i5 Touring reveals its true character. In xDrive M60 form, as tested, you have a heady 593bhp delivered to both axles. To say the i5 is rapid would be an understatement. Even driven in Eco mode to save battery, it is plenty quick enough, but in Sport mode it is almost unnecessarily quick, something I don’t say very often. The artificial soundtrack is quite engaging too, though of course this can be turned off.

In fact, the i5 Touring truly excels in refinement. Even by electric vehicle standards, it is impressively hushed, making long motorway journeys feel almost serene. The ride, aided by adaptive dampers, is supple enough to cope with Britain’s often-pockmarked roads, yet controlled enough to prevent any sense of floatiness. It is, in the best sense, a consummate cruiser, and I did that with a trip to London and the Cotswolds for various events.

The steering is accurate, certainly, but offers limited feedback—a criticism that has been levelled at many modern BMWs. It is capable through corners, disguising its considerable weight with commendable discipline, but it stops short of genuine engagement. This is not a car that urges you to take the long way home; it is one that makes the direct route feel rather more agreeable than it ought to.

Where the touring distinguishes itself, of course, is in its practicality. With a 570-litre boot expanding to 1,700 litres, it offers the kind of space that families, and indeed dog owners, will appreciate. The load area is usefully square, and the overall sense is of a car designed with real-world usability in mind. In a market increasingly dominated by SUVs, there is something refreshingly honest about that.

Range, inevitably, is part of the conversation. Official figures suggest up to around 301 miles, though real-world UK driving is likely to yield somewhat less. I achieved around 250 miles, most of that in Eco mode, but much of it at motorway speeds. It is competitive rather than class-leading. Charging speeds are suitably brisk, meaning longer journeys remain perfectly manageable, provided one approaches them with a modicum of planning.

Price, however, may give pause. The i5 range starts somewhere north of £70,000 and climbs steeply thereafter. The i5 Touring sits firmly in the premium bracket. For company car drivers, the tax advantages of going electric softens the blow, but private buyers may well hesitate. As driven, you will need to find substantially more than £100,000, especially if you raid the options list.

And yet, taken as a whole, the BMW i5 Touring makes a compelling case for itself. It does not seek to reinvent the estate car; rather, it quietly evolves it. It is refined, practical, and reassuringly well-built, qualities that have long defined the 5 Series lineage.

Perhaps that is the point. In an era of dramatic change, the i5 Touring feels like a constant. Not revolutionary but resolutely accomplished. And in the measured, thoughtful way of things, that may be exactly what many UK buyers are looking for.

Fast Facts (as tested)
BMW i5 M60 xDrive Touring
Price £99,090
With options £115,352.49
0-62mph in 3.9 seconds
Top speed 143mph
593hp
WLTP range 301 miles
Real world range 250 miles
3.3 miles/kWh