BMW prices 5 Series, i5 for Oz

BMW Australia has priced the latest 5 Series and i5 range ahead of its local debut later this year.

Available from $114,900 plus on-road costs in entry specification, the 5 Series is now $7200 dearer than before, but introduces a raft of changes, including mild hybrid and all-electric powertrains throughout the range.

The 5 Series range begins with the 520i which arrives with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine and 48-volt mild hybrid system paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The combination is good for 153kW and 330Nm accelerating the variant to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds with combined cycle fuel economy listed at 5.7 litres per 100km.

The petrol variant is topped by a pair of battery electric i5 models: the single-motor eDrive40 from $155,900 +ORC and dual-motor M60 xDrive from $215,900 +ORC.

BMW’s i5 eDrive40 features a solo electric motor set on the rear axle producing 250kW and 430Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 6.0 seconds, while the all-wheel drive i5 M60 xDrive offers 442kW and 820Nm – more than doubling that of the entry-grade petrol variant.

The range-topping ‘M’ variant can hit triple digits in just 3.8 seconds.

The electric motors in new i5 use enhanced fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology complete with Sport Boost and Launch Control functions.

Both i5 variants feature an underbody 84kWh battery pack and 400-volt electrical system to support both AC (up to 22kW) and DC (up to 205kW) charging. Range figures for the duo are listed at 582km and 516km respectively (WLTP).

There is no word yet on the availability of the more powerful 530i four-cylinder turbo-petrol, turbocharged six-cylinder petrol, turbo-diesel or PHEV variants offered in other markets.

The new BMW 5 Series face some serious competition locally from the likes of the Audi A6 (from $95,500 +ORC) and Mercedes-Benz E-Class (from $106,600 +ORC), to say nothing of similar size and specified offerings like the Genesis G80 (from $87,200 +ORC) and Jaguar XF (from $115,360 +ORC).

Dimensionally a bigger car than the previous 5 Series, the new model is 97mm longer at 5060mm, 32mm wider at 1900mm and 36mm higher at 1515mm riding on a longer 2995mm wheelbase, an increase of 20mm.

The car’s fascia is a new interpretation of the twin headlights and BMW kidney grille with LED elements arranged almost vertically that serve as turn indicators and daytime driving lights.

The protruding kidney grille features a wide surround that can be optioned up with an Iconic Glow contour lighting.

The profile exhibits a high shoulder line with “powerfully designed” surfaces and two precisely traced character lines that shape the vehicle’s body. The exterior is highlighted with black side skirts, flush-mounted door openers and an embossed number ‘5’ at the base of the C-pillar.

The fully vegan interior is designed to function as a mobile office providing high levels of comfort and connectivity for those on the move. BMW said it paid special attention to long distance comfort as the 5 Series is a popular continental travel alternative to aircraft.

To that end, the interior provides “space, modern functionality, a high level of acoustic comfort as well as high-quality, precisely processed materials, fine workmanship and advanced digital services”.

For the driver, the cockpit has significantly fewer buttons and controls compared to the predecessor model achieved by digitalising functions.

The focal point of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch instrument- and 14.9-inch infotainment screen combination that runs BMW OS 8.5, allowing customers over-the-air updates.

2023 BMW 5 Series pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.