BMW has officially unveiled the new, eighth generation of 5-Series sedans. For the first time, the car has an all-electric version, called the i5.
The designers of the novelty have kept the classic silhouette of the body, increasing its size. The length of the car has grown by 86 mm and exceeded 5 m, the width has increased by 33 mm, the wheelbase has increased by 20 mm and now is almost 3 m.
Like the new 7-Series executive sedan, the Bavarian Five was originally created both as a gasoline car and as an electric car. Initially there will be two internal combustion engines. This is a two-liter turbocharged four that produces 259 hp. and is combined with both rear and all-wheel drive. As well as the brand’s classic inline-six with a capacity of 380 hp, which goes only to the all-wheel drive version of the 540i xDrive.
In the future, an expansion of the choice of powertrains is expected. In particular, in 2024, a version with a hybrid power plant should appear.
There will be two fully electric versions of the i5. The base will receive only a rear electric motor and rear-wheel drive. Its power will be 340 hp. The top model will be complemented by a front electric motor and all-wheel drive. The total output of the two motors will be 598 hp, which will accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.
At the same time, both versions have the same battery with a usable capacity of 84.3 kilowatt-hours. Due to the higher energy consumption, the power reserve of the top version of the i5 turned out to be less than that of the basic version: 412 kilometers against 475.
Source: Auto News