Just a few days ago, BMW presented the eighth generation of its average saloon, the 5 Series. Now, just a few hours later, we have had our first contact with this new model, static for now, and we will tell you what are the impressions that have transmitted to us in its fully electric i5 version.
The first thing to note, and paying attention to the nuance, is that the BMW 5 Series is still a 5 Series. The arrival of this new generation also means the arrival of the first fully electric 5 Series, the i5, but this does not mean that the car abandons its essence.
At first glance, it is identified as a BMW, and by dimensions, we know that it is a 5 Series, despite the fact that with its 5.06 meters long, it measures the same as the 7 Series of the outgoing generation. If there was any doubt, the arrival of the superimposed 5 on the Hofmeister curve, will clear us up.
Undoubtedly, its design is an evolution of the forms of the previous one to adapt it to the current design line of other models of the brand. From my point of view, the fact of keeping the 5 Series with a more classic and conventional layout of the front elements, fleeing from the minimalist optics of the 7 Series and X7, is a success.
In the new BMW 5 Series, the front optics have more conventional shapes and are sharper with a certain similarity to those of the 3 Series in its latest restyling and even to those of the BMW X1. The unit that BMW Spain had brought for this first static contact was the most efficient electric, the i5 M60 with 601 hp.
For this reason, we find another specific element of this version, which are the closed front kidneys. In them, finished in piano black, we find the M logo embedded. Around, a very thin light profile is undoubtedly the most characteristic element of the new model. It's called the BMW Iconic Glow, and it's a different application than other illuminated grilles we've seen on the X6 or 7 Series.
I dare to say that this is the one in which this LED light profile is best since it makes a very fine contour that does not completely close the profile of the two kidneys in the central area. It simply outlines, and frames them, making the look of the car with this and with the laser lights very characteristic and personal.
The fact that the new BMW 5 Series is a multi-energy model, compared to other strategies such as that of Mercedes, which has completely separated conventional energy models (Class E) from electric ones (EQE), means that it maintains its classic proportions of the saloon, with a very long and muscular front hood.
Looking back, we find in this M60 unit the exterior mirrors with a specific shape, simulating the double anchoring arm to the body that the long-awaited M3 E36 had.
The wheels on this unit were optional 20-inch wheels finished in bicolor, with the M logo inserted into one of the spokes. For the size of the car, they do not look excessive, but appropriate to its proportions.
Two very wide doors allow access to the front and rear seats with total comfort, making good use of its 2.99-meter wheelbase (20 mm more than before) and making the most of the space.
At the rear, it is perhaps where we find a more notable change compared to previous generations of the 5 Series. Now the optics, very flat, are slightly inclined on a trunk lid that falls slightly outwards instead of going down straight.
Inside, the trunk of this i5 M60 version offers 500 liters of the trunk with very usable shapes, which allows luggage for its 4 or 5 passengers to be placed without a problem.
During the next year, the family Touring body will arrive, which will surely offer even greater capacity and add a point of utility to this great saloon.
In general, I think that the BMW 5 Series has followed the right evolutionary line in terms of design. When you have it in front of you, it conveys a very balanced feeling of robustness and sportiness, with an elegant appearance at the same time.
A more technological interior
Having reviewed the exterior, it is time to get into its cabin to see what it offers us and what it transmits to us. The first thing to do before entering is to pull the new door handles, which are perfectly integrated into them to improve airflow and reduce aerodynamic resistance.
The touch of this type of handle does not seem as good to me as conventional handles, but perhaps it could be because this is still a pre-series unit and has not yet had the final adjustments in certain aspects.
I sit in the driver's seat and love what I see. Before me, I have a steering wheel very similar to the one we saw in the BMW X1 with an M sports finish, marked by an empty lower arm on the inside that helps to give a feeling of lightness. The underside of the steering wheel is also flat.
Being an M steering wheel, it still has a fat, well-cushioned rim and the twelve o'clock position is marked in red. The paddles include the word Boost on the left side, revealing that this car also debuts this system that when you pull this paddle towards you, configures the car in its sportiest mode to facilitate certain maneuvers in which you need maximum performance for 10 seconds.
Behind the steering wheel, we find the double curved screen, which projects all the information very clearly. Depending on the driving modes that we have selected at all times, the colors, tones, and spellings will appear different in each case.
To move through the infinite menus on the screen located in the central area of the dashboard, we can use the touch function, touching directly on it, or operate it from the iDrive control located on the floating center console that separates both front seats and creates a continuous surface with the central glove box with double cover.
In it, the layout of the buttons and controls, such as the one that allows you to increase or decrease the volume of the sound system by means of a thread, is a mixture of the type of console that we find in the most luxurious models, such as the iX and the one that other more conventional models like the 3 Series.
For the rest, the quality of finishes and materials is very high, creating a first-class interior environment. I like the traditional arrangement of the different elements that make it up, as well as the fact that the arrival of digitization has not been taken to irrational extremes. For example, it uses conventional handles to open the doors instead of buttons. Bravo.
It has many holes to leave everyday objects in both the front and rear seats.
Another element that stands out inside the new BMW 5 Series is the presence of a crossbar of LED lights, which runs through the entire cabin from side to side and extends towards the doors.
It is not just an ornamental element, but it is functional, as it can be configured in different colors and has an active function that makes the lights appear in different ways depending on the driving mode that we have selected or, for example, it will alert us with active flashes. in case we are going to open the door and a car comes from behind.
Those lights make the interior look very similar to the 7 Series, and it's sure to delight Asian customers, who are big fans of this kind of thing. The positive point is that the presence of the LEDs is not exaggerated, it is fair and correct from my point of view.
The seats, which in this M60 version are sporty, are wide seats with good lateral support. We will have to wait to try it to find out if they really pick up well when we drive fast in support.
The free height at head level is wide, and the presence of the panoramic glass roof that goes from the front to the rear also stands out, offering great luminosity to the interior.
Going to the rear seats, we find a large space with a capacity for three passengers. The height at head level is good, and although the space for the legs does not grow as much as expected due to the larger size of the set, the truth is that the occupants of those rear seats are also going to enjoy a more than pleasant experience.
In the central tunnel, which surprisingly remains in this electric version despite not having a mechanical force transmission element between the two axes, we also find a specific air conditioning screen for these rear seats.
Conclusions of the BMW 5 Series and i5
These are the prices of the BMW 5 Series range in all its versions, including the i5. Plug-in hybrid versions will go on sale later.
The new BMW 5 Series, including this electric i5 version, I think it follows a very successful line in all aspects. On the one hand, the fact of reaching the market with diesel, gasoline, plug-in hybrid (later), and electric options gives it many options to conquer any customer, whatever their needs. The conventional client will have what he is looking for, the one who wants to try electrification as well.
Beyond that, as I said at the beginning, it is still a 5 Series in all aspects. The exterior design is evolutionary and not revolutionary, the quality of materials and finishes is up to what you expect to find in a 5 Series, and in general, we can say that it is a car that sets the bar very high among those in its segment.
Finally, the other aspect that I highlight about this 2023 BMW 5 Series is that digitization and technology arrive in their proper measure, allowing a very successful balance to be maintained between analog and digital, without letting this last line eclipse the previous one. If something works, don't change it, improve it.
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