Is the new BMW i5 the best electric BMW Saloon that you can buy?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the design at the front and as you can tell it sits nicely in between the 3 series and 7 series. We get a more aggressive front than the 7 series but not as sporty as the 3 series. We also get a bigger grill than the 3 series but not too big like the 7 series. The overall design at the front does look sporty and like a proper BMW. On the electric model the grill is fake but on the M60 version you can tell it is fake as it does not have any fake slats, and this makes the car look more aggressive. We get some small side vents but a big central air vent with a gloss black surround. The headlights have a new graphic in them, and they have digital LED technology taken from the 7 series.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and unlike the Mercedes EQE rival BMW has gone for a boxy shape like any other 3 box designed saloon. I am fine with this style as it makes it feel more like a car rather than a futuristic concept. On the side we get some flush door handles, black lower sills, and a sharp crease lower down. We also get an indent on the c pillar with the 5 on it. Again, the sharp design continues to the side which I like.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and we get a sleek and modern look. We get a set on thin taillights with the double L design which I like. We also get some sharp creases again especially on the bumper like what you would find on the 3 series. Overall, the exterior design of the i5 is sporty but elegant like what a proper business class vehicle like this should be like. Let’s have a look at the battery and motor options that you can have with the BMW i5 but lets also have a look at what engine options you can have with the regular 5 series.
Car and engine specs and price
So, with the BMW 5 Series you can have petrol mild hybrid or petrol plug in hybrid. For the first time you cannot have a diesel engine in the UK, you can in other countries though. Let’s start with the electric model the i5. You get a single motor rear wheel drive setup with 338 bhp and an 84-kWh battery pack. This gives the car a maximum range of 355 miles which is pretty good for the UK. AC charging at a maximum speed of 11 kW will take you 8 and a half hours 0 to 100% and through DC charging at a maximum speed of 205 kW it will take 30 minutes 10 to 80%. 0-62 takes 6 seconds which is pretty good for this size of car.
For the petrol engines you can have the 520i. this has a 2-litre turbo engine, and it uses a mild hybrid setup giving you 206 bhp. 0 to 62 is delt within 7.5 seconds and power is sent to the rear wheels through an automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. For the plug-in hybrid options, you can have either the 530e or the 550e xDrive. Let’s start with the 530e. this has 297 bhp and power is sent through the rear wheels through an automatic gearbox. Driving on electric alone you have 180 bhp and an electric range of up to 60 miles which is impressive for a plug-in hybrid. Charging takes 3 and a quarter hours from 0 to 100% ac. This is at a maximum rate of 7.4 kW. For the 550e xDrive model you have 487 bhp and power is sent to all four wheels with a maximum of electric range of 55 miles which is still decent. The price of the BMW 5 Series starts at £51,000 and for the BMW i5 it starts at £74,105. A good price for the amount of tech you get with the car. Lets have a look at the interior.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the new BMW i5 and you are welcomed with a completely different setup over the old 5 series. To start with in the UK, we only get the M Sport model upwards. This means as standard we get these M Sport seats which are very comfy but supportive and you can easily do a long journey in them. alternatively, you can get comfort seats if you go for the comfort plus pack which will set you back £5,000 but with that you get comfort access, electric tailgate, 4 zone climate control, front and rear heated seats with the front seats ventilated, a heated steering wheel and rear USB C ports with a tablet connector for children in the back. So also, being an M Sport model, you get this sporty futuristic looking steering wheel with gloss black buttons but a first for BMW, we get a flat-bottomed steering wheel and on the m60 version you get a red top dead centre strip. The dashboard design is where this car really stands out. We get the new BMW iDrive 8.5 system with the curved screen. That’s nothing new as we have seen this setup on the new X5 and X6 facelift. As I said in those videos the software is brilliant and with the one-layer system you can always have the navigation or driving mode displayed as the background and have your media and phone shown on top. You also get quick feature buttons that are easy to use. The dashboard design is very similar to the new 7 series and i7 with this colour bar. In the daytime it is not as bright as you might expect but you can still see it. At night it does look very special, and it sets the interior apart from other rivals. This flows around the front of the interior and it changes colour with each driving mode. Moving to the centre console and you get this new design with a gear toggle and iDrive controller like what you would find in the 7 series. On this test car it is the optional £600 crystal option. Overall upfront, the businessperson will be very pleased. Let’s see if the rest of the family will agree in the back seats.
Practicality
So, getting into the back and to start with, if you have the optional comfort plus package and you have the comfort seats you will get these tablet connectors, so your rear entertainment is sorted. You also get climate control switches and your own heated seats and air vents. The materials that are used are also very high quality with the metal speaker grill and the Bowers and Wilkins speaker system. Legroom and headroom are fine even for a 6-footer like me. You also get an armrest, and you can sit 3 in the back but bear in mind that there is a big transmission tunnel hump so it will be tighter than if you buy an EQE for example. Let’s have a look in the boot to see if it is practical enough for a week away.
Boot Size
So, boot size on the new BMW 5 Series is 520 litres with the seats up but on the electric i5 model this is reduced but only by 30 litres down to 490 litres. This is still more than enough for most people, and you can fit enough suitcases in it.
Summary
So, what do I think of the new BMW i5 and 5 Series. Well to be honest with a starting price of £51,000 for the 5 Series it is a very good buy considering it feels like a 7 series to sit in and drive but if you go for the electric i5 for £74,105 then you are making a very good decision. The BMW 5 Series and i5 is much better than the previous generation and it feels like a big step up over that model. Personally the BMW 5 Series is now the class leading business class car.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 5/5
Practicality 5/5
Total 15/15
Model | BMW i5 eDrive 40 M Sport |
Price | From £74,105 |
Engine | 1 Electric Motor, 338 bhp, 81.2 kWh Battery Pack, 350 Miles |
Transmission | 1 Speed Automatic |
On Sale | Now |
Comments