At the 2023 BMW annual meeting, BMW revealed more details about the new car and unveiled its first all-electric 5 Series model, the BMW i5, which is set to launch in October.
Since the launch of the 5 Series in 1972, BMW has produced over 10 million 5 Series cars in more than 50 years. However, the BMW 5 Series will undergo a major upgrade this year: it will be fully electrified.
Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said at the BMW Group Annual Meeting, “The pure electric BMW i4 M50 demonstrates how BMW perfectly blends dynamic performance and electric mobility. It is the best-selling BMW M model launched globally in 2022. BMW M GmbH’s pure electric performance models will also be included in the new BMW 5 Series sedan lineup.”
According to Zipse, the BMW i5 will be the brand’s first electric 5 Series sedan and will bring a “truly unique selling point” to the brand. The i5 is scheduled to be launched in October and will then go on a global tour in 2024, with BMW continuing to expand its pure electric lineup.
The production of this new car is expected to begin in the coming months and will be produced at BMW’s Dingolfing plant in southern Bavaria, which is also the largest manufacturing plant in Europe. BMW said the i5 will maintain its traditional position between the company’s midsize 3 Series and luxury 7 Series sedans.
Although the pricing has not been announced, BMW hinted that the brand will introduce a “low-priced electric vehicle” in its product lineup, but several competitors, including Mercedes-Benz, have apparently given up on low-priced models.
The all-new 5 Series is “more dynamic and comfortable than ever before” and comes equipped with the iDrive 8.5 new version of the in-car system, as well as the curved display screen from the BMW iX electric SUV and new digital services.
In addition, BMW has confirmed that the i5 sedan will also have a high-performance M version and a touring version. Zipse said that after the electric BMW i450 became the best-selling BMW M model in 2022, the BMW 5 Series lineup will also welcome a pure electric M car, claiming that the pure electric BMW i4 M50 demonstrates how BMW perfectly blends power performance and electronic mobility.
BMW said that due to its attractive lineup of pure electric cars, its orders are still sufficient, but it will remain cautious in 2023, as interest rates and inflation rise.
It is currently unclear what specifications the i5 M (which can be called the i5 M60) will have, but considering its size is close to that of the M5 fuel car, we expect it to bring the same supreme performance as the Tesla Model S Plaid.
BMW also confirmed that the new 5 Series will not only have gasoline and electric versions. “The flexible powertrain architecture means that the all-new BMW 5 Series sedan can offer pure electric and plug-in hybrid models, and adopt 48V mild hybrid power systems.”
In fact, BMW revealed a lot of information at its annual meeting, especially about electric cars. BMW confirmed that the redesigned X2 that is about to be launched will also have an all-electric version called the iX2. The car will be unveiled later this year alongside the new iX1.
