[UPDATE] We have attached the Youtube embed for the livestream:
Unquestionably the biggest debut of the year from BMW, the eighth-generation 5 Series Sedan will break cover next week. Specifically, the luxury sedan carrying the “G60” internal codename is going to celebrate its world premiere on May 24 at 2 PM CEST. Depending on where you live, that works out to 2 PM GMT or 8 AM ET. The German luxury brand rarely organizes live streams to unveil future products, but it makes an exception every now and then for such significant debuts. To watch the next-gen 5 Series reveal, BMW has set up a dedicated page on its website, which you can access at the source link below. Should there be a YouTube livestream, we’ll update this article accordingly. There should be something for everyone as aside from the conventionally powered model we’ll also discover the first-ever fully electric i5.
Unveil on May 23, 8AM Eastern Time
The teaser campaign has exclusively focused on the EV, which will be available from day one as an M Performance model. Already confirmed to go by the i5 M60 moniker, the sporty electric sedan will be the most potent flavor at launch. It’s likely going to be dethroned around 2025 when the new M5 (G90) will arrive with a yet-to-be-confirmed output of roughly 700 horsepower from a plug-in hybrid V8.
Expect the dual-motor i5 M60 xDrive to have approximately 590 hp and slot above a lesser rear-wheel-drive i5 eDrive40 with 335 hp. Four- and six-cylinder ICE versions are planned, including a diesel tailored mainly to the European market. There won’t be a V8-powered, non-M 5 Series anymore as the M550i is sadly going away, with its indirect replacement expected to be an M560e xDrive featuring an electrified inline-six.
Other details announced so far include a drag coefficient of 0.23, rear air suspension for the i5 M60, iDrive 8.5, and a Max Range mode. The latter has already been revealed for the i7 M70 to increase range by as much as 25% by limiting power and speed while turning off a few of the creature comforts to boost efficiency. As far as range is concerned, the i5 eDrive40 will cover an estimated 295 miles (475 kilometers) per EPA’s testing procedures or 468-582 kilometers (291-362 miles) in the WLTP cycle. BMW has yet to reveal the EPA range of the M60 but we do know it’s projected to do anywhere between 436 to 516 km (271 to 321 miles) per WLTP when fitted with the aero-optimized 20-inch wheels.
Following the sedan’s reveal on May 24, the 5 Series Touring (G61) should premiere in the latter half of the year. BMW has confirmed a long-roof electric 5er will go on sale in 2024, and it’s widely believed the M5 Touring (G99) is returning around 2025.
Source: BMW Group