Earlier this month, we had the unique opportunity to explore the upcoming BMW i5 Touring in a secret room. We were hosted in Munich by Oliver Munder, the Product Manager for the BMW 5 Series, so we had a lot of questions for the man in charge of the project. Although we started the line of inquiries wit the absence of a tailgate window opening in the new wagon, we soon pivoted to another critical question: Is there any chance the 5 Series Touring or i5 Touring will make its way to the United States?
Munder stated that, as we’ve reported before, BMW has no immediate plans to introduce the 5 Series Touring stateside. He revealed, “The i5 Touring will mainly be marketed and sold in Europe and Japan. However, I assure you something exciting is on the horizon for the U.S. market.” While he stopped short of specifying, it’s widely speculated that the thrilling addition could be the BMW M5 Touring. This speculation was fueled by a recent, albeit briefly confirmed, statement by Domagoj Dukec, BMW’s Head of Design, about the M5 Wagon’s American debut.
Only The M5 Touring Is Coming To America
The prospect of the G99 BMW M5 Touring launching later this year in the United States is exciting, yet we can’t help but feel the addition of the 5 Series Touring or an i5 M60 Touring would enrich BMW’s U.S. lineup. The American market currently hosts several premium sports wagons, such as the Audi A4 Allroad, Audi A6 Allroad, Audi RS6 Avant, Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain Wagon, and Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. We see these spacious, nimble, and versatile wagons offer an appealing alternative to the smaller SUVs, but we might be in the minority.
The F31 3 Series Was The Last Wagon Sold In America
Despite the allure, the dominance of SUVs and crossovers in the U.S. luxury car segment casts doubt on the potential success of a BMW sports wagon. The F31 BMW 3 Series Wagon, despite being a great product, struggled to gain traction in America, so that might have prompted BMW to proceed with caution regarding the introduction of a new wagon model. The BMW M5 Touring, however, represents a unique proposition, targeting a passionate and vocal M audience eagerly. Of course, the very same group expected the M3 Touring which might been the more enticing product.
While the BMW 5 Series Touring will not be gracing U.S. shores in the near future, enthusiasts may need to travel to Europe for a firsthand experience. We know we will…
