High Five

BMW HAS FOLLOWED UP ITS ACCLAIMED i7 limousine with the reveal of the all-electric version of its new 5-series range, the i5.

The launch range will comprise a petrolengined 520i model priced at £49,850, with the electric i5 eDrive 40 costing £73,200, and the top-line i5 M60 xDrive weighing in at £96,840. Customer deliveries will start in October 2023, and plug-in hybrid versions will follow in the first half of 2024.

Also set to join the range in spring 2024 is a new BMW 5-Series Touring estate, which will also be available with all-electric drive for the first time (as i5 Touring), as well as with plug-in hybrid drive and pure combustion engine drive.

Images reveal the new eighth-generation

5-series follows the design style of the 7-series, with a big, imposing kidney grille outlined in LED light. Unlike MercedesBenz, which has developed a stand-alone EQE electric saloon with a completely different body style to the E-Class, both the petrol and electric 5-series models share the same basic body structure. The eighth-generation vehicle has grown in length by 97mm to 5,060mm. It’s also 32mm wider at 1,900mm and

36mm taller at 1,515mm. The wheelbase has been increased by 20mm to 2,995mm for improved seating comfort, especially in the rear.

Inside, it will be the first BMW in the UK to feature Veganza “vegan leather” upholstery as standard from launch on seats, dashboard and door panels. The BMW Interaction Bar first seen on the 7-Series carries over to the new 5-Series, and the 5-series saloon is now available with a panoramic roof for the first time in the model’s history.

The i5 eDrive 40 will offer an all-electric range of 361 miles (WLTP). The BMW 530e and BMW 550e xDrive plug-in hybrid models, due in 2024, are expected to offer an electric range of 49-56 miles and 54-62 miles respectively (WLTP).

Optimised aerodynamics deliver range improvements too. These include air flap control, an air curtain in the front apron, aerodynamic wheels and a smooth underbody, giving the new BMW 5-Series Saloon a very low Cd value of 0.23.

The air flap control can increase the i5’s electric range by up to 16 miles by only opening the cooling air intakes in the BMW kidney grille, the lower