BMW is launching the brand new generation of the 5 Series in autumn. The design seems evolutionary instead of revolutionary, and yet the front is designed in a surprising way. There will be diesel and petrol engines as well as plug-in hybrids, but no six-cylinder in Europe. Instead, the electrically powered i5 comes.
When it comes to new BMWs, the question is always: what do the designers do with the brand-typical kidneys? With the 5 Series, you can give the all-clear: The Munich-based company does not scare away its traditional business class customers with an oversized variant (like the 4 Series or the iX), but rather keeps the size to an easily digestible format. Instead, they have a wide kink in the bonnet pressed in, which runs between the kidneys, like a kind of Grand Canyon, on the bottom of which the BMW logo is emblazoned. The kidneys themselves carry an illuminated frame, their surface is closed or has controlled air flaps. Their design is different: With vertical plastic struts, they look successful, as is usual with BMWs. But there is also a version without these struts, i.e. with a smooth front. The flaps are also in place here, which looks as if an untalented design apprentice had been unsupervised for a short time. Ironically, in the top model BMW i5 M60 xDrive.Slightly offset at the side are the twin headlights with new lighting graphics: almost vertical LED units serve as daytime running lights and turn signals.Below the kidneys, as well as on the sides and at the rear, black plastic covers are noticeable, which above all are quite prominent at the rear. But that obviously corresponds to the current design philosophy of the Munich-based company almost four centimeters to 1.52 meters. The wheelbase has been extended by two centimeters to three meters (exactly 2995 millimetres). A touch of the 7 in the interiorIn the interior it is no surprise that we find a curved display, a 12.3-inch speedometer display and a 14.9-inch one touch screen united. The “BMW Interaction Bar” was adopted from the new 7 Series. It does not serve drinks and lively conversations, but different colored light depending on the setting, purpose and needs. Touch-sensitive controls are integrated. There are also those on the steering wheel, where they give haptic feedback. Traditionalists will be delighted to find the iDrive Controller in the new BMW 5 Series, the rotary pushbutton that was used to operate BMW’s outstanding control systems in recent years. Most recently, it lost importance in view of confusing menus and programming priorities and was completely eliminated from the program in the 2 Series Active Tourer and X1. However, the operating system is new in the 5 Series: The “BMW Operating System 8.5” brings a new entry screen with vertically arranged function symbols on the driver’s side and a new quick access function. Video streaming and in-car gaming are also possible. All drives – but not immediately Under the hood, all currently available drive principles come together: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and electric drive. For the time being, six-cylinder engines will only be offered outside of Europe. When it comes to the market launch, we have the choice between two 48-volt mild hybrid four-cylinder engines with technology, a 208-hp petrol engine and a 197-hp diesel. Outside of Europe there are other variants of these two-liter engines as well as six-cylinder ones. A new six-cylinder engine will be delivered in Europe in the course of 2024. Two plug-in hybrids will be available as early as spring 2024. The i5 will be available in two variants. The top model is the BMW i5 M60 xDrive, which combines two electric motors into a 442 kW/601 hp and 820 Nm all-wheel drive. It accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, and the top speed is electronically limited to 230 km/h. The basic Stromer is the BMW i5 eDrive40 with a 250 kW/340 hp rear-wheel drive (0-100=6.0 seconds, Vmax 193 km/h). The high-voltage battery in the underbody delivers 81.2 kWh net, which according to WLTP in the i5 40 is good for a WLTP range of 477 to 582 kilometers, with the i5 M60 it is enough for 455 to 516 kilometers. With the new Max Range function, the range can be increased by up to 25 percent if necessary by limiting power and speed and deactivating comfort functions. The market launch in Austria is planned for October 2023. The price list starts at 62,100 euros for the BMW 520i, the 520 d is available from 63,000 euros. The plug-in variants 530e and 550e come to 65,900 and 79,000 euros respectively, the cheapest i5 costs 69,950 euros.
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