BMW 530e M Sport Pro Touring (2024 - )

While we all clamber to drive practical, family-focused SUVs, it’s worth reminding ourselves just how versatile and rewarding the good old fashioned estate car still is. And they don’t come much better than the BMW 5 Series.

Diesel versions have been withdrawn, but customers can choose from the petrol-powered 520i, two all-electric models labelled the i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 xDrive, or plug-in hybrid models called 530e or 550e xDrive. 

Additionally, there’s plenty of trims to select from called M Sport, M Sport Pro, Sport Edition, plus high-performance M models. So, bundles of choice then and the prices range from £55,375 to £100,095, before any optional extras are factored into the mix.

We opted for the 5 Series Touring (estate to you and I) with plug-in hybrid technology in M Sport Pro specification, priced at £64,905, although our test car was fully loaded with almost £10k of extras.

Powering the rear-wheel drive BMW 530e M Sport Pro Touring model is a 2.0-litre 295hp petrol engine alongside a 19.4kWh battery. With 450Nm of torque, the estate car can power its way to 62mph from a standing start in 6.4 seconds and maxes out at 137mph. It has an EV-only range of 57 miles which should easily cover the average daily commute.

The eight-speed automatic transmission is super smooth with steering wheel paddles for added driver engagement. Additionally, there are lots of modes to flick through to change the handling and mood inside the cabin. These are called Personal, Sport, Efficient, Expressive, Relax, Digital Art and Silent. Sport is the most rewarding and the gear shifter can also be pulled back to get to the Sport setting too.

The BMW is a magnificent motorway cruiser and will sit effortlessly at 70mph eating up the miles. But its also very capable when faced with more challenging country lanes packed with twists and turns. It’s agile, well balanced and offers confident levels of grip even if tighter curves are attacked enthusiastically. It feels quite wide on narrower roads, but that was our only slight concern.

With perfectly weighted steering and impressive agility, the car is easy to manoeuvre in busy town centres, but you will need an extra-large parking space. 

The suspension system does an excellent job of smoothing out any bumps and dips along the way, while the cabin is well-insulated, so protecting occupants from any road surface or wind noise.

It’s not exactly the simplest of tasks making a car that stretches more than five metres in length look easy on the eye, but that’s exactly what the talented BMW designers have accomplished with the 5 Series Touring. It has grown slightly when compared to the outgoing model, with eye-catching design cues including the over-sized kidney grille that still divides opinion, and this becomes illuminated when the car is unlocked. There are slim front light clusters, a panoramic sunroof, 20-inch alloys with blue brake calipers, a rear spoiler, layered tail lights, lots of sporty M Sport styling trims and model-specific badging.

Moving inside, the interior features elegant, high-end upholstery with seats that are power-adjustable, apart from backwards and forwards which was a tad annoying inside a car carrying such a high price-tag. However, these seats, plus the steering wheel, could be heated for added comfort.

Two infotainment screens stretching 27 inches merge seamlessly behind a curved panel, with the left screen offering access to the wealth of on-board technology, while the right screen displays all the important driving data, such as speed, navigational directions, fuel and battery charge levels and much more besides.

Features include Cloud-based navigation with real time traffic updates, a premium Harman Kardon sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, Bluetooth, a DAB radio and the ability to stream music and games from subscription-based services.

Everything is very simple to operate on the fly and we always appreciate the traditional rotary dial so the car is not too touchscreen-dependant, along with the AI personal assistant to help with a number of tasks too.

Practicality is the key factor for any car with estate-like proportions and the BMW 5 Series Touring has all bases fairly well covered. It has a strong road presence stretching 5,050mm in length, 2,156mm across, including mirrors, and 1,515mm tall. Up front there is oodles of space so a couple of extra-tall adults can stretch out in style. The back is rather restricted though when it comes to legroom. It’s okay for a couple of adults provided the front seats are not pushed right back, but is best suited to a trio of youngsters, and there are Isofix child seat anchors on the two outer seats.

The boot is accessed via a powered, wide-opening tailgate and the storage area is massive. If you’re looking to move home, this is the car to book! With all seats upright, there is space for 570 litres of goods, but drop the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats and that limit increases to 1,700 litres. There is extra room beneath the boot floor and a rolling cover keeps items out of view.

Extra storage compartments throughout the cabin include a glovebox, door bins, a deep central cubby, some trays, front and rear cup holders, plus seat back pockets.

And with family getaways in mind, this BMW can pull a braked trailer weighing up to 1.8 tonnes.

The entry model into the 5 Series Touring line-up is the petrol version, priced at £55,375 and, at the other end of the scale, is the fully electrified i5 M60 xDrive carrying a price-tag of £100,095. The plug-in hybrid range starts at £61,905 for the M Sport trim, but our M Sport Pro version was £64,905.
However, as is the way with premium cars, customers can fully personalise their vehicles via a number of optional extras and packs. And that’s exactly how our test car arrived, complete with all the bells and whistles you could want. 
Options included upgrades to the alloy wheels, paintwork, plus a towbar, adaptive suspension and a panoramic roof. A Technology Pack added an interior camera, parking assistant and a head-up display, while a Comfort Pack introduced a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and some other handy features. After all the extras had been added, the price of our test car had climbed to £74,900.
Expensive yes, but the plug-in hybrid powertrain will allow owners to claw back some of the costs. Admittedly, the official WLTP-tested fuel efficiency figure of 294mpg will be nigh on impossible to match, but if the car’s battery is charged regularly and the 57 miles of electric-only range are used to the full, then the day-to-day running costs can be kept in check.
Additionally, the low 18g/km carbon emissions figure brings with it plenty of financial savings with a first-year road tax bill of £110, increasing to the standard £195 fee after 12 months. The Benefit in Kind rating for business owners is also tempting at just nine per cent. However, as this BMW exceeds the government’s Expensive Car Supplement threshold of £40k, owners will need to pay an additional £425 charge from years two to six.
For added peace of mind, the 5 Series Touring is sold with a three-year, unlimited-miles warranty package that increases to eight years for the battery.
 

There’s no denying the popularity of the SUV with its family-friendly dimensions and ease of driving. And, in fairness, would-be buyers have an abundance of models to choose from these days.

However, it’s great to see the estate car is also proving a popular alternative with all the practicality and versatility bases covered well, while generally delivering a more rewarding and engaging driving experience in the process.

The BMW 5 Series Touring is a perfect example of all these attributes neatly wrapped up in one very attractive package, albeit an expensive package.