Nobody Knows if the BMW M5 Touring is Coming to America

Despite having been quoted as confirming the BMW M5 Touring for North America, Domagoj Dukec has just recanted. Earlier statements from the brand’s design head stipulating that our market would have access to both the sedan and wagon versions of the M5 have been taken back — leaving everyone following the story more than a little perplexed.

For those wondering what happened, The Car Guide had reported Dukec as confirming the M5 Touring as bound for America during a Portuguese test drive of the redesigned 2024 BMW X2. When asked to confirm the statements by CarScoops, his response was said to be a very direct “No, I did not!”

This has led to all manner of speculation online, with some outlets confirming that the model is to officially remain in Europe. Some also noted that a camouflaged M5 Touring prototype had previously been spotted testing the roads in Los Angeles. However, automakers frequently run vehicles under development in places they never intend on selling them and employees sometimes leak information.

The likely scenario is that the design boss simply spoke out of turn. BMW hasn’t confirmed anything either way and likely won’t until the M5 makes its official debut later this year. The wait shouldn’t even be that long due to sustained rumors that production is supposed to commence before summer ends. But it’s probably a good idea to temper whatever excitement you may have about the M5 Touring being broadly available here. It’s likely going to retail for more than the sedan and undoubtedly going to see lower sales figures. BMW undoubtedly knows this.

Many hardcore driving enthusiasts appreciate the unassuming performance sedan. They don’t draw quite so much unwanted attention from the authorities issuing speeding tickets and are typically more practical than something that wears its sporting intentions on its sleeve. However, plenty would opt for a wagon variant if such a vehicle were provided.

Unfortunately, there’s rarely enough demand to warrant a company dealing with the logistics required to make that possible. As the best sport wagons tend to be manufactured overseas and a sound business case has to be made before the automaker is willing to make the necessary investments to export them into our market. Wagons haven’t been fashionable in North America since they were supplanted by the minivan in the 1980s. These days, we have oversized SUVs and crossovers to fill that niche and — for those seeking to maximize utility — they’re arguably the better option.

While performance geeks correctly see sport wagons as the most utilitarian platform that can still offer serious on-road performance, regular drivers will have trouble rationalizing such as purchase. The M5 is expected to start above $110,000 and that price kind of makes any additional practicality offered by the wagon irrelevant, especially on a market where you can still buy full-size luxury SUVs for roughly half that price.

Those just interested in getting a wagon will probably settle on a Subaru Outback, Volvo V60, or an Audi A6 Allroad. But there will be a subset of buyers that won’t settle for less than the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon or perhaps the upcoming Audi RS6 Avant. BMW is probably wondering how many of those might opt for an M5 Touring instead.

While details have yet to be confirmed, the consensus is that M5 sedan and Touring models will come with BMW’s S63 twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 in a plug-in hybrid format. Output is estimated to be somewhere north of 750 peak horsepower with some versions perhaps eclipsing 800 hp. The company’s xDrive system (all-wheel drive) will come via an eight-speed automatic and is said to be biased toward the rear axle for enhanced agility.

The rest of the vehicle will also see upgrades from the standard 5 Series, with the M5 undoubtedly receiving larger brakes, larger tires, and a broader footprint. Based on BMW’s previous performance models, we can also assume it’ll be brimming with electronic doodads to help modulate performance and cater the feel of the car to the driver’s taste. Meanwhile, the interior should mimic what we’ve seen on the current 5 Series.

There have been some rumors that the model would be capable of short stints of all-electric driving and might use the same hybrid system as the XM SUV. If that is to be the case, it should offer somewhere around 50 miles of all-electric driving before the 25.7 kWh battery needs to be recharged. But that’s speculative and none of the spy photos of leaks have helped draw any firm conclusions regarding hybridization.

With production rumored to commence sometime in July, we’re likely to have some answers relatively soon. But we would still advise against getting too hyped up about seeing the Touring come to our shores until the company makes a formal declaration on the subject.

[Image: BMW]

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