News BMW 5 Series and BMW i5 (2023): first contact IN VIDEO with the multi-energy sedan

The criticisms received by the Series 7 seem to have reached the ears of the Bavarian designers. Back to a moderately sized grille for this new “5” which almost sounds like the E60, the icon of the 2000s born under the pencil of Chris Bangle.

Reassuring style

If the facies of the new 5 Series has something to patch up the “BMW boys” with their favorite brand, this new opus does not live in the past. Quite the contrary. To its traditional range of thermal blocks are added 100% electric variants badged i5, the Munich firm having chosen a multi-energy platform that has proven itself on the 3, 4 and 7 Series sedans.

In the higher category?

For the occasion, it stretches disproportionately to the point of exceeding 5 meters in length. A first in this category represented by the Audi A6 and the Mercedes E-Class, which are more around 4.95 m. Crescent by 10 cm (5.06 m), this new 5 Series exceeds the size of the 7 Series of the early 2000s. gaining only 20 mm to settle just under the 3 m mark.

Nearly 600 km of WLTP range

We bet that this substantial increase mainly bends to the size constraints inherent in battery cells. However, the two versions of i5 available at launch do not particularly shine with their WLTP autonomy measurements, promising at best to cover 582 km via a single battery offering a net capacity of 81.2 kWh, far from the 637 km won by the Mercedes EQE, its direct competitor, it is true more compact (4.95 m long).

Not the fastest to reload

The Blue Propeller catches up in terms of recharging speed with a maximum power (DC) of 205 kW similar to that provided by the little sister i4. However, due to a lack of 800V technology, it cannot stand comparison with the big names in this area, embodied by the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT (270 kW), capable of recovering 80% autonomy in less than 20 minutes, when the new i5s will make their owners hang around 10 more minutes in front of the supercharger.

The electricity fairy at the service of power

In terms of sensations, 340 hp and 430 Nm of torque propel the entry-level i5 eDrive40 (propulsion), capable of 0 to 100 km / h in 6 s, when this time drops to 3.8 s for declination M60 xDrive (4×4) which delivers 601 hp and 820 Nm. A notch below in terms of electrification, plug-in hybridization will also be available in two variants, but not before summer 2024. Mercedes has set the bar very high lately by systematically promising more than 110 km of 100% electric autonomy on its latest models. Again, the future 530e (4-cyl – 299 hp combined) will travel a maximum of 102 km against 118 km announced by the new Mercedes E-Class 300e (312 hp). However, we will forgive the 550th xDrive version for limiting its autonomy to 90 km in view of its impressive cavalry of 489 hp based on a 6-cylinder 313 hp. Opposite it, the Etoile caps the power level of its E-Class 400e at just 381 hp.

Generalized mild hybridization

To access more modest mechanics, it will be necessary to turn to the petrol and diesel blocks of the new 5 Series, however systematically supported by a light 48V hybridization associated with an 8-speed automatic transmission on the French market, in order to lower the CO2 emissions. The offer will be drastically reduced, at launch, compared to the previous generation which offered up to 286 hp in diesel. We will be satisfied with the unique 520d (4-cyl) of 197 hp, in propulsion or all-wheel drive, pending the introduction of a 6-cylinder tasting the same nectar, during 2024. On the other hand, the fate of the new 530i (4-cyl) of 258 hp is already sealed, its marketing being planned only outside European borders, unlike the 520i (208 hp) officiating at the entry level and only available in rear-wheel drive.

BMW 5 Series and i5 prices

In short, the “carrot” is called PHEV at BMW for those who wish to benefit from furious thermal mechanics on board the new 5 Series, while waiting to take the wheel of the future M5. The passenger compartment, precisely, enters a new era by yielding to the sirens of almost all tactile, not necessarily synonymous with intuitiveness as often noted by the specialized press. Thus, we find the row of multimedia screens (12.3” and 14.9”) within the same slab overlooking an excessively backlit dashboard, under a crystalline structure that is always in the best taste. The 5 Series will delight more with the upholstery of vegan material throughout the cockpit, although it is possible to opt for real leather, as an option. All this equipment will obviously apply to the future station wagon variant, which is expected to be firm in the coming months. Regarding the sedan, the first deliveries will take place in October.

Prices for the new BMW 5 Series and BMW i5:

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