BMW has unveiled the i5 sedan, which joins the global line-up of all-electric BMW models, including the iX1, i4 and i7. It is also set to spawn the highly anticipated BMW i5 Touring – one of the first executive all-electric estates on the market.
- BMW i5 M60 xDrive makes 601hp, 820Nm
- The new i5 gets up to 582km of range on the WLTP cycle
- The new i5 gets an 81.2kWh lithium-ion battery
New BMW i5 powertrain
BMW hopes the electric powertrain, arriving in two power levels, will bring new customers to the brand as well as bolster the sales of its bestselling model. At launch, the electric i5 will be available in two specifications – rear-wheel-drive eDrive40 and four-wheel-drive M60 xDrive. The rear-wheel-drive eDrive40's electric motor develops 340hp and 430Nm of torque, giving it a claimed 0-100kph time of 6.0sec and a 193kph top speed.
The four-wheel-drive M60 xDrive uses the same rear-mounted electric motor in combination with a smaller front-mounted motor that delivers an added 259hp and 365Nm. All up, it develops a combined system output of 601hp and 820Nm for a claimed 0-100kph time of 3.8sec and an electronically limited top speed of 230kph.
New BMW i5 battery and range
Both i5 models feature an 81.2kWh lithium-ion battery as standard. The eDrive40 offers a claimed range of 497-582km (WLTP), while the more powerful M60 xDrive delivers a claimed 455-516km range on the WLTP cycle.
Each i5 has a 11kW AC charging functionality as standard, although this can be increased to 22kW with an optional onboard charger. The maximum DC charging capability is put at 205kW, with BMW claiming a 10-80 percent charge within 30 minutes. Together with the eDrive40 and M60 xDrive, BMW has confirmed that a third i5 model is scheduled to arrive in 2024.
New BMW i5 dimensions and platform
Kerb weights for the initial 5 Series line-up range from 1,680kg for the combustion-engined 520i to 2,305kg for the i5 M60 xDrive. The basis for the new 5 Series is BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform. It is the same structure that underpins all BMW models featuring either a longitudinally mounted combustion engine or an electric drivetrain.
Mirroring the latest 7 Series, with which it shares many critical components, the 5 Series has grown in size. Its length has increased by 97mm to 5,060mm, width has increased by 32mm to 1,900mm and height has risen by 36mm to 1,515mm. The wheelbase has also gone up by 20mm, at 2,995mm.
New BMW i5 exterior
Stylistically, the new model adopts the change in design direction at BMW first seen on the iX, with a much more modern look than the model it replaces. The front is still dominated by BMW’s classic kidney grille, which on the pure-electric i5 sports a blanked-off design in high-gloss black plastic. It also gets illuminated grille surrounds, like on the new i7.
The new i5 also gets slim headlights with two, vertically stacked LED daytime running lights in each unit. As on all recent BMW models, traditional door handles have made way for flush-fitting units. They combine with other wind-cheating elements, including a flat underbody, to allow the i5 eDrive40 to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.23.
At the rear, the i5 adopts the new 7 Series' design language with thin LED tail-lamps. Interestingly, each tail-lamp has a chrome separator between the two LED elements.
New BMW i5 interior and features
The BMW i5 gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen – the latter running the latest BMW iDrive 8.5 operating system based on Linux software and offering gaming and video functions for the first time. It is operated via a similar-looking physical controller as the i7 that's placed on the centre console. In fact, the entire centre console borrows its design from the i7.
Furthermore, the BMW i5 also gets ambient lighting elements from the new i7. The thick ambient light bar stretches from the dashboard to the door cards and can be configured to together show different colours. The i5 as well as the new 5 Series also get a panoramic sunroof, while the previous generation 5 Series only came with a standard-size sunroof. The new i5 also has a boost button on the steering wheel, which is again a direct lift from the i7.
New BMW i5 rivals
The new i5 electric sedan will rival the Mercedes-Benz EQE, Tesla Model S and upcoming Audi A6 e-tron overseas. It is likely to launch in India in 2024 and will not have a direct rival as the aforementioned models are not available here.
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