BMW will have a high-performance electric model called the i5 as part of its new-generation 5 Series sedan to be launched in October.
Following full-electric versions of its 4 Series (i4) and 7 Series (i7), the new i5 will continue BMW’s expansion of its all-electric offering. The German vehicle maker has not disclosed technical details of its battery-powered variant in the eighth-generation 5 Series, except to say the i5 will be an M Performance model.
However, the car will be sure to boast serious horsepower from what we’ve seen in BMW’s other electric models: the i4 M50 pushes out 400kW and 795Nm while the i7 wields 400kW and 745Nm. BMW customers have been quick to embrace electric technology, with the i4 M50 becoming the best-selling BMW M model worldwide in 2022.
BMW chair Oliver Zipse says the new 5 Series will be more dynamic and comfortable than ever and will “boast a fresh interpretation of its signature elegantly sporting design”, though the styling is under wraps for now.
The car will also have the latest BMW Operating System 8.5 with Curved Display and innovative digital services.
The exact model line up hasn’t been disclosed but the new 5 Series will be offered in plug-in hybrid variants, and petrol and diesel engines with 48V mild hybrid technology.
There also will be a 5 Series Touring version, though it is unlikely to come to SA as station wagons aren’t popular locally.
Over 50 years and seven model generations, the 5 Series has established itself as one of the world’s most successful business sedans, with more than ten million units produced from 1972 to early 2023.
The new BMW 5 Series Sedan will be built exclusively at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing in Germany.
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