Deep test drive 2024 BMW i5 handling performance beyond imagination.

Ten years ago, I first drove a new coastal highway on N247, which is a winding asphalt road with beautiful scenery. At that time, I tested the new BMW Active Hybrid 5-the first electrification technology in the BMW midsize car. Time came to 2023, and I was driving a 5-series car again, but this time it was all electric. BMW 8th Generation 5 Series: 2024 i5.

I5 inherits the more outstanding features of i7, that is to say, it is not an electric car on a special platform like iX SUV. On the contrary, electric and fuel vehicles share the same chassis structure, and BMW designed the CLAR platform to adapt, plug-in and electric power systems. From the outside, it is difficult to distinguish the i5 from the fuel version. Like the i7 and 7 series, this is intentional. Thankfully, this i5 is quite handsome.

Is i5 a single motor or a double motor? In the American market, BMW will launch two versions: the single-motor eDrive40 with rear drive and the dual-motor with all-wheel drive. Both of them are equipped with a ternary of 81.2kW·h, and BMW said that all i5 models support DC fast charging of up to 205kW, which is a big improvement compared with the i7′ s 195kW. When connected to a household Level 2 charger, the charging power is 11kW.

In the i5 eDrive40, the maximum power of the rear motor generates 250kW(335hp/340Ps) and 400Nm of torque, which is enough to accelerate this 4,916-pound (about 2227kg) car to 60 mph (about 100km/h) in 5.7 seconds, which is the same as that of the old ActiveHybrid 5. For daily driving, this speed is enough, especially because of the instantaneous torque of electric vehicles, the starting acceleration of 0-30 mph (0-48km/h) is always very fast. If you drive properly, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that with this single motor configuration, the maximum cruising range can reach 295 miles (475km).

However, the performance of the i5 M60 xDrive is even better. It is equipped with a powerful 442kW(593hp/601PS) and 586 lb-ft (795Nm) torque. Installing the second electric drive unit on the front axle increased the weight by 331 pounds (about 150kg), but the extra power quickly offset the counterweight. The i5 M60 can accelerate to 60 mph (about 100km/h) in 3.7 seconds. However, the cruising range will be affected; According to the US Environmental Protection Agency,

Excellent daily driving experience

No matter what the power output is, the driving feeling of the i5 is as good as that of the BMW Fuel Edition 5 Series: it is smooth and comfortable on the highway, but it can also easily drive into the narrow B-class road curve. I tested the prototype i5 at the BMW proving ground in Miramas earlier this year, and I was deeply impressed by its performance. It seems that its driving characteristics have hardly changed since then.

I am driving an i5 eDrive40 equipped with optional M Sport suspension, electronically adjustable and 21-inch wheels (smaller 19-inch and 20-inch wheels are also provided). The suspension system of the vehicle is excellent, which can well filter out the bad road conditions common in small towns in Portugal.

Standard rear air suspension

All i5 models are equipped with self-balancing rear air suspension, which makes the rear of the vehicle softer, while the front double wishbone suspension can control the front of the car well, and at the same time, it can transmit enough feedback through the thick steering wheel.

Follow-up steering/active anti-roll

All i5 models can choose 2.5-degree rear axle steering, which helps to make the rear of the vehicle more stable in sharp corners, but only M60 is equipped with the new 48V active anti-roll technology of Series 5, which is very helpful to keep the car stable when crossing Portuguese hills.

Multi-gear adjustable kinetic energy recovery

As an electric vehicle, i5 relies on kinetic energy recovery to return some extra energy to the battery. There are many kinetic energy recovery efforts to choose from, which can be managed in the relatively cumbersome submenu of iDrive 8.5 (which will be introduced in detail later). My suggestion is to keep the i5 running in the B gear (one box below the D gear), so as to get the maximum regenerative energy. Moreover, never turn on the adaptive recovery function, which will increase or decrease the kinetic energy recovery according to the GPS route data. This sounds good in theory, but it will actually lead to inconsistent braking force.

Can you let go of your hands and drive automatically? Of course, the i5 can meet your needs-on a pre-planned highway, but unlike the BlueCruise or Super Cruise, you can use BMW’s Highway Assistant to drive for a long time without touching the steering wheel, and it won’t automatically shut down the system if you need to make a slight adjustment. Very simple.

The popular function introduced by i5 is gesture-based lane change technology. Basically, if you are using the highway assistant HS, and the system detects that you may need to change lanes, it will suggest changing lanes, and you only need to look at the corresponding side mirror to activate changing lanes. If you don’t want to take the advice of i5, just keep looking ahead. Again, very simple. And don’t worry, this technology will soon be launched on other BMW models equipped with highway assistants.

The fashionable interior is full of science and technology, and it is those small details that make the interior of i5 so excellent, such as the beautiful contrast sewing on the artificial leather seat, the backlight ambient light board or the glass buttons on the center console. There are even two on the wireless charging board in front of the cup holder.

A curved display screen integrates a 12.3-inch digital instrument and a 14.9-inch multimedia touch screen. The former has multiple reconfigurable displays and useful overlays, which can help you to follow each turn direction accurately. The screen on the right is the vehicle display window of iDrive 8.5, which is a good upgrade to the existing iDrive 8.0 technology. It adds a row of function buttons at the bottom of the display to facilitate quick access to common functions. This is a good thing, because our main menu is a bunch of small icons, which are difficult to click on while driving. BMW said that more improvements will be upgraded through OTA.

AirConsole may not be what we need: when you stop (such as charging), you can scan the QR code on your mobile phone and play one of 10 different video games on the 14.9-inch display. From ""to "",all kinds of games have non-brand versions to choose from. Although I don’t know whether playing with your mobile phone while waiting for i5 to start will improve the situation, you can try it. Up to seven people can connect and play games on the AirConsole, which will help to extend this situation to BMW’s seven-seat vehicles and enjoy the game.

About price

The 2024 i5 eDrive40 will be launched this autumn, with a starting price of US$ 67,795 (equivalent to about RMB 495,005) [including the destination freight of US$ 995 (equivalent to about RMB 7,265)]. This price is lower than the selling price of EQE 350+ and EQE 350+,which are US$ 76,050 (about RMB 555,279) and US$ 76,380 (about RMB 557,688.5) respectively. Interestingly, the price of i5 is only a few thousand dollars more expensive than the newly launched ActiveHybrid 5 in 2012, which is the performance of the affirmative action movement of electric vehicles.

For consumers who pursue power, the i5 M60 xDrive is another good choice, and the price is 85,095 US dollars (equivalent to about 621,321 yuan), which is lower than EQE with logo again. Although I like the thrill of 442kW(593hp/601PS) very much, I think the eDrive40 is more suitable for daily driving. First of all, it has no strange closed grille design, and 250kW(335hp/340Ps) power is fast enough. In addition, like the gray model in the picture, a well-equipped i5 eDrive40 only costs about 75,000 US dollars (equivalent to about 547,612.5 yuan).

The 5 Series is about to launch brand-new gasoline models: the 530i, the all-wheel drive 530i xDrive and the 540i xDrive. In addition, BMW will also launch M5 Touring, but this car is not for the North American market. At the same time, the highly anticipated will also be listed soon. Although electrification is the future trend, we also hope that the next major progress of 5 series electrification can be realized as soon as possible, instead of spending another ten years.

How much do you estimate the starting price of i5 in China?