No disputes necessary

It has become long, the new 5 Series Touring. Almost ten centimetres longer at a full 5.06 meters and with a slightly larger wheelbase, the "five" shines with a stately appearance - and is also available as an all-electric model for the first time under the name i5. Visually, the Bavarian really makes a statement with the typical twin headlights and the "kidney grille" that protrudes far forward (which can also be accentuated with contour lighting on request). The estate also shines inside with its generous dimensions. There is plenty of space in the rear and lots of legroom. It's a great way to travel. And with a load volume of 570 to 1700 liters, there is plenty of storage space, which is easier to access thanks to the lower loading sill and wider hatch.

In its sixth generation, the BMW offers exactly what you would expect from a spacious luxury-class estate. And for the first time, in addition to petrol, diesel or hybrid, it is also available in electric form. In the test car, the electric motor delivers the joy of driving with 230 kW (313 hp) to the rear (all-wheel drive is also available as an option). That's enough for a sporty sprint or a leisurely glide along the highway. There is never any temptation to request additional electric boost via the paddle on the right-hand side of the steering wheel. This boost then provides 250 kW (340 hp) and increases the torque from 400 to 430 Nm. For everyday use, 6.1 seconds from 0 to 100 km and a top speed of 193 km/h are more than sufficient.

As we cruise across the countryside in the i5 eDrive40 Touring and enjoy the great ride comfort, precise active steering and good handling even in tighter bends, we are somewhat surprised when we look at the display. We have just fully charged. The 81 kWh lithium-ion battery, which takes around 8.5 hours to charge at 11 kW (AC) at home, should give us almost the full standard range (560 to 578 kilometers according to WLTP). However, the i5, which can also be charged with up to 205 kW (DC) at a fast charger, still only shows a range of just over 400 kilometers in winter temperatures. This makes the estate car more honest than other electric cars. But Munich has also recognized that more is needed in the premium segment. And from March, the electric variants will benefit from technical improvements that will add almost 50 kilometers. These include a new inverter for the power electronics, improvements to the wheel bearings and particularly low rolling resistance tires on flow-optimized alloy wheels.

Meanwhile, we continue our journey in the i5 eDrive40 Touring, and in the next village, one of the countless assistants alerts us with a discreet triple "Bliep" that we are traveling slightly too fast at 53 km/h. At least BMW has designed the mandatory speed warning assistant in such a way that it is particularly easy to deactivate. Instead, we simply slow down, but we have to get used to the many assistants. We much prefer the informative, color head-up display, which also provides very precise navigation instructions, and above all the voice assistance.

All voice commands, whether "deactivate steering wheel heating" or address details for the next destinations, are understood and implemented perfectly. The annoying back and forth with voice assistants that only understand half of what you say is a thing of the past in the new BMW 5 Series. Instead of unnecessary arguments with the car, dignified comfort dominates. We glide along and look at the classy interior with the curved 14.9-inch multimedia display, the now standard and very comfortable sports seats and the optional BMW Interaction Bar, which provides a nice lighting effect, quasi ambient lighting with buttons. Cool!

Of course, so much luxury comes at a price. Although the electric estate is available from 82,300 francs, the nice extras such as adaptive damping, the panoramic roof, the M Sports package or the clever Driving Assistant Professional in the test car cause the price to shoot up by a small car - to 112,540 francs for the test car. And we're not even in the electric station wagon from Bavaria with all-wheel drive, because this i5 M60 XDrive Touring, which is clearly more in demand in the 4×4 country of Switzerland, only starts at 119,900 francs in the basic version. The really nice car things in life are never free.