BMW will bolster its electric car portfolio in 2023 with the release of its first-ever i5, an EV version of the next-generation 5 Series Sedan. Sharing the “G60” codename with the combustion-engined models, the zero-emission variant will feature essentially the same design as the ICE-powered cars. This recipe has already been used several times: X1 / iX1, X3 / iX3, 3 Series / i3, and 7 Series / i7.
Much like the models mentioned above, the eighth-generation 5 Series will lend its platform to the purely electric i5. Spy shots have strongly suggested BMW won’t be rocking the boat with the car’s design, so don’t expect the styling to drastically change as it’s been the case with the bigger 7er. A new speculative rendering attempts to see into the future of the Mercedes EQE competitor by imagining what was hiding behind the camouflage applied to prototypes spotted in recent months.
Unlike the i3 and i7 offered exclusively as sedans, it is widely believed that BMW is developing an i5 Touring to the delight of wagon fans. Like the gasoline- and diesel-fueled 5 Series Touring, the long-roof electric model is known internally by the “G61” codename. A range-topping M Performance version is apparently in the offing as the i5 M60 xDrive with the same powertrain as the iX M60. At the other end of the lineup, there’s likely going to be at least one eDrive model, meaning rear-wheel drive.
Riding on an evolution of the CLAR platform, the revamped 5 Series will transition to the eighth-generation iDrive with a pair of screens atop the dashboard. As seen in the other two sedans, there will be a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and a 14.9-inch touchscreen for the infotainment. BMW is likely sticking to the rotary knob as a supplementary way to control the multimedia system. As you may recall, the latest X1 and 2 Series Active Tourer have lost the iDrive controller.
When should we expect to see the new 5 Series break cover? Well, production is reportedly starting in July 2023, so the world premiere could take place in the first months of next year. We’re likely going to see the sedan at first, complete with combustion engines and the electric i5. The Touring is believed to hit the assembly line in March 2024, so the reveal might not occur until near the end of next year.
Already officially confirmed to get a plug-in hybrid V8, the hotly anticipated M5 (G90) will arrive later in 2024 when BMW could unveil an M5 Touring (G99). Once again, China will get its own long-wheelbase 5 Series, believed to arrive in early 2024 under the “G68” codename.
i5 Sedan rendering: TopElectricSUV | i5 Touring rendering: Motor.es
