Heavily-updated BMW M5 Touring on the way with Neue Klasse styling

The BMW M5 Touring was only unveiled in 2024, but for those not quite sold on the current car’s looks or interior, a big update is already on the way to rectify that. Spied testing in the high Arctic, this M5 prototype is hiding a heavily updated exterior front design, plus a brand-new interior with all of the brand’s latest tech. Due to be revealed some time in 2027, it’ll coincide with updates across the entire 5 Series range. 

As we can see in these images, the main exterior differences to the current model are kept largely to the front, with a Neue Klasse-style grille and headlight arrangement. Already previewed by the new iX3, the new M5 will integrate wide, glossy casings that incorporate both the headlights and various radars and sensors. However, we don’t quite know yet whether it’ll resemble the SUV models in having separate illuminated kidneys at the centre, or a cleaner look that’s expected on the next i3. 

Underneath is a very large and aggressive intake. This will feed air into the same revised plug-in hybrid set-up as has just been revealed for the 2026 model year M5. In this case, it retains a 716bhp combined peak figure, but draws more of that total from the electric motor and less from the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine. This will send power to all four wheels via an eight-speed ZF transmission and an active all-wheel drive system. 

Aside from new rear lights, expect few changes at the side and back of the M5 Touring, but under the skin we expect some revolutionary changes. This is because a tell-tale black band is clear to see on the car’s windscreen. This signals the revised M5 will incorporate the Panoramic iDrive system first introduced on the new iX3. 

This signals a shift to a completely new interior, featuring the large central touchscreen and simplified control surfaces found in other Neue Klasse models. It’s unknown at this stage whether it will also require the use of a new centre console and gear selector, but there is no doubt this will be a colossal change compared to the current car’s more traditional twin-screen layout. 

We’ll have to wait a little longer to see how many more changes are in store for the next M5, but with a new Audi RS 6 Avant due at around the same time, it’s looking like the era of the ultra-high-performance plug-in hybrid estate is upon us. 

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