Powertrain families
B48 petrol I4 · B58 petrol I6 · N63 petrol V8 · B47 diesel I4 · B57 diesel I6 · plug-in hybrid
5 Series (G30/G31) — Touring
2017–2024
Editorially reviewedReviewed 2026-08-10; market and model-year scope is stated in the record sources.
- Internal code
- G31
- Production
- Touring production from 2017 to 2024
- Body style
- 5-door wagon
- Platform
- longitudinal layout · rear- or all-wheel drive
Body variants
5 Series → G30/G31 → Touring
5 Series G30/G31: history, design and engineering
How this generation came about, what made it different and how the selected touring fits into the family.
G30 applied BMW's modular CLAR thinking to the 5 Series, reducing weight in key areas while adding the digital displays, assistance systems and connected functions expected in a modern executive car. Its design was evolutionary, but the electronics and breadth of powertrains represented a substantial change.
G30 Sedan and G31 Touring remained the global core, with the long-wheelbase G38 serving China. Four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines, xDrive and several plug-in hybrids appeared across the lifecycle, while the separate F90 M5 moved the high-performance branch to all-wheel drive for the first time.
G30 Sedan, G31 Touring and China-specific G38 long-wheelbase sedan share CLAR foundations but have separate body dimensions, production sites and market programmes. Plug-in-hybrid availability expanded during the lifecycle and eventually reached Touring in selected markets; battery size, luggage volume and fuel tank therefore belong to the exact derivative, not to a generation-wide value.
2016–2024generation lifecycle
3body branches
6engine/drive families
15range designations
G30/G31factory code
longitudinal layout · rear- or all-wheel drivearchitecture
Touring: dimensions and packaging
Dimensions can change with body, market and model year, so this page keeps them tied to the exact factory branch.
Length4,943 mm
Width1,868 mm
Height1,498 mm
Wheelbase2,975 mm
Luggage570–1,700 L
Fuel tank66 L
Seats5
Doors5-door wagon
| Body | Code | Production | Doors / seats | Length | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | G30 | 2017–2023 | 4-door sedan / 5 | 4,936 mm | 530 L |
| Touring | G31 | 2017–2024 | 5-door wagon / 5 | 4,943 mm | 570–1,700 L |
| Long-wheelbase Sedan | G38 | 2017–2023 | 4-door long-wheelbase sedan / 5 | 5,106 mm | ≈ 520 L |
Engines and powertrains
The generation could span very different engines and drivetrains. The table keeps output, gearbox, market and production period together.
Factory modification matrix
Documented touring applications; output and availability remain market- and model-year-specific.
| Model | Years | Engine | Output | Transmission | Drive | Market | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 520i / 530i | 2017–2023 | B48B20 | 184–252 PS | 8AT | RWD / xDrive | Global range | The new BMW 5 Series Sedan |
| 540i / M550i xDrive | 2017–2023 | B58 I6 / N63 V8 | 340–530 PS | 8AT | RWD / xDrive | Global range | The new BMW 5 Series Sedan |
| 518d / 520d / 525d | 2017–2023 | B47D20 | 150–231 PS | 6MT / 8AT | RWD / xDrive | Europe | The new BMW 5 Series Sedan |
| 530d / 540d xDrive | 2017–2023 | B57D30 | 265–340 PS | 8AT | RWD / xDrive | Global range | The new BMW 5 Series Sedan |
| 530e / 545e xDrive | 2017–2023 | B48/B58 + electric motor | 252–394 PS system | 8AT hybrid | RWD / xDrive | Global range | The new BMW 5 Series Sedan |
Factory designations
520i · 530i · 540i · M550i xDrive · 518d · 520d · 525d · 530d · 540d · 530e · 545e · 525Li · 530Li · 540Li · 530Le
Petrol engines
Inline and V engines are grouped by engine family, displacement, induction system and emissions specification.
Diesel derivatives
Where diesels were offered, output, injection generation and emissions hardware are recorded market by market.
Electrification
Mild- and plug-in hybrids are separate derivatives; combustion-engine output must not be substituted for total system output.
How power reaches the road
Gearboxes, driven wheels and final-drive hardware changed with engine, market and production date.
Transmissions
Gearbox type and unit code follow engine, market and production date. Gear count alone does not identify the transmission.
Driven wheels
Catalog architecture: longitudinal layout · rear- or all-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive availability and hardware remain derivative-specific.
Final drive
Ratio, differential type and electronic control belong to the exact derivative and can differ on performance models.
What changed underneath
Suspension, brakes, safety systems and electronics evolved across the range, even when cars shared the same basic architecture.
Body-branch dimensions
- G30: 4,936 mm × 1,868 mm × 1,466 mm
- G31: 4,943 mm × 1,868 mm × 1,498 mm
- G38: 5,106 mm × 1,868 mm × 1,500 mm
Body & suspension
- Mounting points and geometry follow the body branch
- Springs and dampers follow axle load and chassis package
- Wheels and permitted loads follow the factory label
Brakes & steering
- Brake size follows engine and equipment
- Assistance type and steering ratio can change
- ABS/DSC generation follows model year
Passive safety
- Airbag count varies by market and year
- SRS parts are VIN-specific
- Structural repairs require factory procedures
Electronics
- Vehicle-bus generations changed during production
- Control-unit software levels must remain compatible
- Retrofits are recorded separately from factory equipment
How the generation evolved
The important launches, additions and updates did not always happen at the same time for every body or market.
Seventh generation
G30 sedan launched globally, followed by G31 Touring and G38 in China.
Lifecycle updates
The worldwide range and Chinese long-wheelbase body received market-specific revisions.
Comprehensive update
The LCI revised lighting, interfaces, assistance systems and the electrified model range.
Phased production end
G30 and G38 ended before G31 Touring completed the generation transition.
The versions that stood apart
Performance models, option packages and regional editions may look related, but their engineering and production identity can be very different.
Sedan
G30G30 was the seventh-generation 5 Series sedan, using the CLAR architecture, mixed-material construction and a body up to 100 kg lighter than its predecessor by derivative. Engines/drive: B48 petrol I4, B58 petrol I6, N63 petrol V8, B47 diesel I4, B57 diesel I6, plug-in hybrid.
Touring
G31G31 Touring paired the G30 architecture with a 570–1,700 litre cargo body and standard rear self-levelling air suspension. Engines/drive: B48 petrol I4, B58 petrol I6, N63 petrol V8, B47 diesel I4, B57 diesel I6, plug-in hybrid.
Long-wheelbase Sedan
G38G38 was the China-specific long-wheelbase companion to G30, extending the wheelbase by 130 mm to 3,105 mm and adding rear-comfort equipment. Engines/drive: B48 petrol I4, B58 petrol I6, plug-in hybrid.
Inside the car
Cabin technology and standard equipment changed by country and year; a build sheet remains the best guide to one individual car.
Cabin & comfort
- Trim and seats follow option codes
- Climate systems vary by market
- Audio and navigation changed by model year
Lighting & assistance
- Lamp technology and modules follow production date
- Driver assistance cannot be inferred from buttons alone
- Regional rules affect lighting and warnings
What to check today
A practical starting point for inspecting and maintaining a car from this generation — not a diagnosis of an individual example.
Identify first
- Match VIN on body and documents
- Obtain the factory option list
- Confirm market and production date
Inspect the structure
- Check repairs and corrosion
- Assess suspension, brakes and tyres
- Compare fitted parts with factory specification
Mechanical history
- Read faults with compatible diagnostics
- Verify engine and transmission maintenance
- Separate invoices from unsupported verbal history
| Item | Interval / trigger | Catalog note |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | CBS/factory schedule; time and mileage for historic cars | Oil approval follows the exact engine and market. |
| Brake fluid | Time-based factory schedule | ABS/DSC-compatible bleeding procedure is required after hydraulic work. |
| Coolant | Factory schedule and condition | Fluid specification and bleeding method are generation-specific. |
| Transmission & final drives | Unit type and operating conditions | Use the exact approved fluid; no one interval fits every derivative. |
How to identify the exact car
The badge and registration year tell only part of the story; production date, body code, engine and factory options complete it.
- Factory body codes
- G30 — Sedan; G31 — Touring; G38 — Long-wheelbase Sedan
- Range designations
- 520i, 530i, 540i, M550i xDrive, 518d, 520d, 525d, 530d, 540d, 530e, 545e, 525Li, 530Li, 540Li, 530Le
- Powertrain families
- B48 petrol I4, B58 petrol I6, N63 petrol V8, B47 diesel I4, B57 diesel I6, plug-in hybrid
- VIN
- Identifies model, plant and production branch and keys the parts catalog and factory equipment record.
- Production date
- More useful than first-registration year when choosing parts and locating technical revisions.
- Type code
- Refines engine, body, market and transmission combination.
- Option codes
- Confirm factory equipment; later retrofits are recorded separately.
- Unit number
- Supports engine or gearbox originality checks and component applicability.
Where the information comes from
The story is mapped through English Wikipedia and its bibliography, then important dates and technical claims are checked against BMW material.
- 01BMW 5 Series (G30)Wikipedia contributors
English-language secondary overview of the generation, body programme, powertrains and production chronology; key claims are cross-checked against the factory sources below.
- 02The new BMW 5 Series SedanBMW Group PressClub
Official G30 launch, dimensions, mass reduction and chassis technology.
- 03New BMW 5 Series for the Chinese marketBMW Group PressClub
Official G38 identity, 3,105 mm wheelbase and China-specific update.
Notes and limitations
- Bodies and long-wheelbase branches are separate; a commercial engine badge does not replace the factory body code.
- Modification output, transmission and drive describe the worldwide range; verify the exact market and production date through VIN-linked factory literature.
- M5 has its own technical identity and parallel BMW M catalog branch even when it uses a related 5 Series body shell.
3 primary references · market differences documentedPhotography: Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Rights checked 2026-08-06; wikimedia commons 1,800 px derivative downloaded; local 640 px and 1,280 px avif versions created without cropping.Updated 6 August 2026