The BMW M5 cargo carrier is back with a bang. Or eight bangs, to be exact, and a hybrid setup that gives it over 700hp. Family road trips just entered a whole new dimension.

It has been a while since the Bavarians treated their fans to an M5 Touring. The last one was the E61 which was produced in extremely limited numbers, and saw its production end in 2010.

Now, husbands all over the world can finally explain to their better halves how blowing a huge amount of money on a car makes total sense because it has space for all the family plus luggage.

In the case of the new G90 Touring, that’s up to 1,670L of luggage, shopping, or whatever else you need to get from A to B in the quickest time possible.

But let’s be honest: Absolutely nobody cares about the cargo capacity of an M5. It’s what’s under the hood that counts, and there’s a lot to count with the latest version.

First, there’s a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that can generate up to 585hp and 750Nm of torque on its own.

But as almost 600hp alone seemingly isn’t enough to keep up with the Joneses these days, there’s also a bit of electric oomph onboard. Another 197hp is added thanks to an electric motor that’s integrated into the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission.

The result is a total output of 727hp and 1,000Nm of torque, or enough to pull small planets off their axes. The sprint from zero to 100km/h is done in 3.6 seconds.

Because it’s a smidgen heavier than the sedan, that’s a tenth of a second more than its brother, but who’s counting? Zero to 200km/h is done in 11.1 seconds, and the top speed stands at an electronically limited 305km/h. That’s for a car that weighs around 2.5 tons empty.

One of the biggest differences between this and the previous versions is without a doubt the design.

A key feature of any M5 was always that it was relatively subtle. Sure, petrolheads could immediately tell, but most other motorists had no idea what was driving in front or next to them.

Now, even a blind man standing in a dark tunnel at night could tell that this isn’t a normal 5-Series. An assertive front with huge air intakes, a wide stance, and four prominent tailpipes make it clear that this is the big kahuna among the Five family.

Inside, passengers get to enjoy a spruced-up version of the already nice cabin from the standard 5er.

The M theme dominates the space and constantly reminds everyone of the fact that this isn’t your average BMW. There’s a new M steering wheel, M multifunction seats, M-specific data on the curved display and the HUD, and even M-specific interior lighting. A Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound system can deliver crisp music for every driving style, including going fully electric.

The new M5 can drive up to 68km without help from the V8, and reach speeds of up to 140km/h.

It’s also a four-wheel-drive car thanks to BMW’s xDrive system, and once you fire up the petrol burner again, it can also create the right fossil fuel-powered soundtrack thanks to a sports exhaust with electrically controlled flaps.

A ton of driver-assistance programs are also onboard to keep the car shiny and right side up, but if you want to go really wild, then the DSC can be switched off for some tire-destroying sideways action.

This much power and technology don’t come cheap. BMW wants at least €146,000 (P9.2 million) for the new M5 Touring on the German market, which means it will cost a lot more by the time it reaches our shores. That won’t stop die-hard fans from getting one, of course, and who could blame them?