New BMW 5 Series and i5 unveiled at the same time

• In October in the Netherlands
• For the first time also fully electric: the i5
• 520i and 520d kick off
• Plug-in hybrids coming in 2024

Nowadays it is perhaps more exciting than before for the more traditional BMW enthusiast when the brand presents the successor to an existing model. The German designers do not shy away from extreme forms. For example, some are still recovering from the nose on the current 4-series. And the models that make the ever-expanding model range even more extensive look even more special. Think of the iX and the XM. Seen in that light, the BMW designers have held back with the new 5 Series. The most striking thing about the design is the growth spurt that the model underwent.

New BMW 5 series 5 meters long

With 9.7 centimeters extra length, the 5-series is longer than five meters for the first time. For a sedan, the 5 Series is also high, 1,515 millimeters for the normal 5 Series, the electric i5 is one centimeter lower, and in width it also increased: it is exactly 1.90 meters wide. There is now two centimeters more between the front and rear axle, which means that the wheelbase is five millimeters after three meters.

Battery capacity BMW i5 is 81.2 kWh

The battery pack with a net capacity of 81.2 kWh therefore fits in between. The i5 comes as eDrive40 and M60 xDrive and distinguishes itself from the outside with small details from the regular 5-series. The remarkably large kidneys are closed in the i5, for example. As an option, you can get the so-called ‘iconic glow’, a thin LED strip around those kidneys. Only the electric top model, the M60, has that standard. Every 5-series gets the number 5 at the C-pillar and the somewhat sloping trunk also stands out, we haven’t seen that since the first 5-series (the E12 in enthusiast jargon).

As eDrive40 up to 582 kilometers range

The i5 eDrive40 has an electric motor that drives the rear axle, on a full charge the 340 hp EV can travel 477 to 582 kilometers, which is according to the WLTP with a consumption of 19.5 to 15.9 kWh/100 kilometers. The i5 has an 11-kW on-board charger as standard, with the electric top version M60 xDrive the buyer receives a 22-kW on-board charger. Fast charging is possible with 205 kW for both variants. The M60 has two electric motors, one for the front axle and one for the rear axle and with an output of 601 hp, the M60 xDrive can compete nicely with the Teslas and Nios of this world. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes 3.8 seconds, the M60 xDrive is limited to 230 km/h, the eDrive40 driver has to give up at 193 km/h. The consumption of the electric top version is somewhat higher. According to WLTP, the i5 M60 xDrive consumes 18.2 to 20.6 kWh/100 km, the range is therefore 455 to 516 kilometers. For the i5 eDrive40, BMW asks a minimum of €77,572, the M60 xDrive starts at €108,427. A third version of the i5 will appear in 2024, which will also have two electric motors and will sit between the eDrive40 and M60 xDrive.

iDrive remains

Inside, the new 5 Series and i5 look like most other modern BMWs. The huge ‘curved display’ occupies a prominent place. The slightly curved continuous combination of a digital instrument panel and a large touchscreen provide a modern look, the right side of which is slightly curved towards the driver is a nod to the BMW dashboards of the 1980s and 1990s. BMW sticks to the familiar iDrive button, the round rotary knob on the center console that makes it easier to operate all functions that you can also control on the touch screen when the car is moving. That iDrive button is now 22 years old and once debuted on the so-called Chris Bangle 7 series.

The curved display has undergone some innovations. For example, the temperature control at the bottom of the large screen can be directly adjusted from now on directly linked to the operation of the seat heating. That saves another action, because you no longer have to go into the menu separately for heated or cooled seats. Functions will be available for the i5 that allow you to play games or watch a movie while fast charging.

Active Lane Change

Active Lane Change is a new driving assistance system that can suggest changing lanes when full driving support is switched on. As a driver, you then give confirmation by looking in the relevant wing mirror, the car then moves to the relevant lane itself. Furthermore, the new 5-series and the i5 are the first BMWs with a completely vegan interior.

BMW i5 has no frunk

In the back of the 5-series, the head and legroom is of course good. 490 liters fit in the luggage compartment, and below that is a compartment in which you can store the charging cables with the i5. The all-electric 5-series has no frunk, while there is room for it in the nose. The electric motor is almost against the bulkhead, and if you look under the huge plastic cover plate you will see that there is enough space to place a large container in front of the electric motor.

Plug-in hybrids will come later

The BMW 5 series kicks off as 520i and 520d. The first has a blown 2-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, which delivers 190 hp. The second has a four-cylinder diesel engine, with 197 hp. You can immediately order it as a four-wheel drive xDrive. The models without a plug are always equipped with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Plug-in hybrids will follow from 2024. BMW will announce which ones they are later.

Technical data new 5 series and i5