The first ever BMW 7 Series iPerformance model is now on sale, bringing a new era forward for the Bavarian brand. The flagship hybrid is the first of its kind and it shares its powertrain with the BMW X5 xDrive40e alone so far. As impressive as its specs may or may not be, the point is BMW is committed to bringing out more and more EVs and PHEVs along the way. The future G30 5 Series won’t be an exception to the rule as we’ve come to find out.
We already knew that the upcoming 5er will share its underpinnings with the 7 Series. Both cars will be built atop the Cluster Architecture platform or CLAR for short. Therefore, if the 7er could be hybridized the 5 Series can be too. According to our sources, the upcoming PHEV in the 5 Series range will use a new drivetrain for this purpose.
While we were expecting the new model to have the same specs as the 740e and come out under the 540e nameplate, it seems BMW has different plans in mind. The first plug-in hybrid to come out under the G30 codename will be the 530e and no, it won’t share its powertrain with the 330e, instead using a new one that will bring some extra 30 horsepower to the table.
That means the new 530e will have around 280 HP at its disposal. Under the hood, we should see the new-age B48 engine, same as the one used in the 330e iPerformance models.
We’re also expecting the battery packs to be upgraded, using the new technology brought forward by the upgraded i3 these days, with higher density cells that can provide longer electric range. This, of course, will not imply an increase in size, making them perfect to popularize PHEV models with the BMW badge on. Whether a 540e model will also be developed, it’s hard to say, but our sources claim that the 530e will not be launched at the same time as the rest of the line-up but later down the line, probably somewhere in 2018.
