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BMW i5 electric wagon is a beauty, but it’s not US-bound

BMW is launching a wagon version of the all-electric i5—but it’s not coming to the U.S.

The BMW i5 Touring, as it’s formally known, launches in Europe this May. Like the i5 sedan, it will be sold alongside internal-combustion BMW 5-Series models.

But there are currently no plans to bring any of the 5-Series Touring models to the U.S. market, confirmed BMW of North America spokesperson Jay Hanson to Green Car Reports.

European customers, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to sample what BMW calls the first EV of its kind. The electric wagon boasts 20.1 cubic feet of cargo space with its rear seats in place or 60.0 cubic feet with the rear seats folded—the same as internal-combustion models.

2025 BMW i5 Touring

2025 BMW i5 Touring

 

BMW will offer two versions at launch. The base i5 eDrive40 Touring has a single-motor rear-wheel-drive powertrain rated at 313 hp in its default setting, or 340 hp in Sport mode. Similarly, torque defaults to 295 lb-ft, but 317 lb-ft is available in short bursts with the Sport Boost and launch control functions. BMW estimates 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds, with a top speed of 120 mph.

The sportier i5 M60 xDrive Touring gets a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain with a default 517 hp and 494 lb-ft. Again, horsepower increases in sport mode (to 601 hp), while torque increases (to 510 lb-ft) with Sport Boost or launch control activated. Compared to the base model, the 0-62 mph time decreases to 3.9 seconds, while the top speed increases to 143 mph.

Both versions use an 81.2-kwh net-capacity battery pack. BMW expects i5 eDrive40 Touring models to achieve 300-348 miles of range on the European WLTP testing cycle, while i5 M60 xDrive Touring are expected to get 276-314 miles of range per charge. For comparison, the U.S.-spec i5 sedan is EPA-rated up to 295 miles.

DC fast charging at 205 kw allows for a 10% to 80% charge in 30 minutes, BMW estimates.

 

2025 BMW i5 Touring

2025 BMW i5 Touring

As Green Car Reports has noted in its review, the i5 sedan solidly trounces its gasoline sibling. BMW has just added another all-electric variant, plus a plug-in hybrid, to the U.S. 5-Series lineup—but it’s likely that neither one will be offered in wagon form.

Instead, Americans will need to focus on the iX, which is charmingly offbeat—and better in its base form rather than as the high-performance M60. The 2025 BMW Neue Klasse EV is due to be offered as a sedan, and as an SUV, but it might also skip the wagon body style.

Another reason the i5 wagon—and electric wagons in general—might not be U.S.-bound is that the government is waving more of a welcome to trucks and SUVs. While some U.S.-built luxury SUVs will qualify for the federal EV tax credit at up to $80,000, for wagons and other cars the cutoff is just $55,000. 

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