It spearheads BMW’s charge to deliver an even wider portfolio of luxury high-performance electric vehicles.
This is the first electrified 5 Series and comes with two electric motors coupled to high-voltage batteries.
In the i5 M60 there is more vehicle for the money than the old model.
This one is 97mm longer, at 5060mm, and 32mm wider at 1900mm.
Another notable gain is an extra 20mm in the wheelbase to a very grown-up 2995mm.
You get the same modern sleek and distinctive BMW lines as the rest of the 5 Series family — but with a few unique variations to distinguish it from its conventional engined siblings.
Front on, the familiar BMW kidney grille and twin headlights have been cleverly rejigged to make a compelling and lasting visual impression.
LED lighting elements on the vehicle are more than aesthetic, serving as turn indicators and daytime running lights.
Adding a touch of brilliance is BMW’s iconic glow contour lighting fitted as standard on models sold here.
Other cool touches are the black side skirts, and flush-mounted door handles.
The words ‘‘welcome’’ and ‘‘goodbye’’ are projected in an ambient light design around the vehicle.
They provide a nifty little light show and enhance visibility at night for the driver and passengers when they exit the vehicle.
The performance heart of the i5 M60 xDrive is a space-saving high-voltage battery nestled in the under-body.
This provides 84kWh of energy and a claimed real-world EV range of 516km.
A new max range function, when activated, can increase the range by up to 25% through limiting power, speed and deactivating cabin comfort functions.
When tethered to a high-speed charger, the i5’s battery charge levels zip from 10% to 80% in just 30 minutes.
That is enough time for the car owners to grab a coffee, and check their emails.
The $196,900 i5 M60 xDrive test drive vehicle unleashed its power with breath-taking effect via enhanced fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
This combines a 442kW electric drive system with two integrated drive units on the front and rear axles.
An epic 820Nm of torque is available when M Sport Boost or the M Launch Control function is activated.
This is plenty to send the vehicle surging from zero to 100kmh in a vivid 3.8 seconds.
Drive at express pace and the electric power train takes some disconcertingly large chunks out of the battery range.
However, some but not all of this lost energy is clawed back via a highly efficient battery regeneration system.
The transmission is a straightforward single-ratio affair that does its job expertly — an understated contributor to this outstanding vehicle’s rock star EV performance.
The car’s spacious cabin is everything you would expect in a high-class European performance sedan.
A quality 12-speaker sound system will strike a positive chord with music lovers.
One thing I noticed almost immediately was a major cull — and not before time — of buttons and controls, compared with the old model.
This has been made possible by digitalising more vehicle functions.
The full digital display system comprises a 12.3-inch information display with a 14.9-inch control display at centre stage.
A new steering wheel design has a flattened lower section and haptic feedback for the control panels and selector lever on the centre console.
n essential requirement of vehicles these days, especially in this price bracket, is plenty of innovative technology.
The i5 delivers that emphatically.
On board, and making a big difference in the technology space, is 5G digital connectivity.
Among its bag of tricks are even better smartphone integration, via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
With the remote software upgrades function, the vehicle always gets the latest software updates.
The pick for me from an exhaustive list of advanced technology is parking assistant professional.
This provides stress-free automated parking and manoeuvring of up to 200m that can be controlled in the vehicle, or by smart phone outside the car.
It can automatically repeat the same manoeuvre on driver request specific to the same location.
The Live Cockpit Professional feature includes the head-up display and augmented view on the control display or instrument cluster.
BMW Operating System 8.5 offers a wider range of digital content for information and entertainment, and improved details on charging points for electric vehicles and better online services.
The advanced chassis and control systems are adapted to weight balance associated with the respective drive technology.
This includes directly controlled wheel slip limitation, integrated braking system and sport steering with variable steering ratio as standard.
M sport suspension, M sport brake system and the adaptive M suspension professional with electronically controlled shock absorbers, and integral active steering further enhance this impressive package.
It confidently masters a diverse range of roads typically found in our country.
This together with all-wheel-drive, and the pinpoint accuracy of the steering, ensures the right levels of road feel to make this vehicle an immensely satisfying drive over most demanding and winding terrain.
BMW have expertly blended engaging handling and steering on the one hand and provided superior ride comfort, on the other.
Getting the ride and handling elements working in almost perfect sync in a vehicle with such deeply rooted high-performance luxury sedan DNA, has made the seemingly impossible, possible.
BMW i5 sedan
Rating out of 10:
Performance 9
Handling 8
Build quality 8
Comfort 8
Passenger and load space 8
Styling 8
Value for money 6
Safety five-star Ancap crash rating
