New BMW 5 Series and electric i5 on sale now: prices start from £49,850

September 27, 2023 by

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The 8th generation of the BMW 5 Series is finally here, and it’s available as a pure EV called the i5 for the first time. Not only that, BMW has also revealed an M-tuned version with over 600hp. Read on for all you need to know.

  • New BMW 5 Series revealed
  • Plug-in hybrid model makes its debut
  • Available as a pure EV for the first time
  • Interior inspired by the 7 Series
  • 601hp i5 M60 available
  • Up to 362 miles of range
  • 2.0-litre petrol version also offered
  • On sale now from £49,850

This is the new BMW 5 Series. It’s the 8th iteration of the executive saloon, and it’s the first one which will be available as a pure electric car.

This alternative to the Mercedes EQE and Audi A6 is available to order now, with prices starting from £49,850 for the entry-level petrol model.

Find out all the details on the new BMW 5 Series…

New BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid on sale now

Following on from the reveal of the BMW i5 and the petrol-powered 5 Series, two new plug-in hybrid models are also now available to order in the UK.

The entry point into the plug-in hybrid range is the 530e, which uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. This is paired with an electric motor to send 299hp to the rear wheels only, and it’ll do 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds, three-tenths of a second slower than the entry-level electric i5.

Arguably more than the 0-60mph time is the electric-only range, and the 530e can manage up to 62 miles before the petrol engine has to take over. That’s almost double the range you got from the outgoing 530e plug-in hybrid.

If it’s a bit more oomph you’re after, the 550e could tick some boxes for you. It may have less electric range at up to 56 miles, however it has a 3.0-litre straight-six engine which, in tandem with the electric motor, produces a whopping 489hp. That’s 41hp more than you got in the old BMW M550i and, thanks to standard-fit all-wheel drive, it’ll do 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds.

New BMW 5 Series design

The new BMW 5 Series and the electric i5 may be completely different under the skin, however they’ll look more or less the same on the outside.

This new car has managed to escape the huge buck-teeth of the new BMW 7 Series in favour of a wide double-kidney grille instead. You can get it with a light-up frame, and the M Sport model has an all-black design.

It has sleek LED headlights, as you’d expect on a car like this, and you get 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, rising to 21-inches if that seems a bit puny. The flush-fitting door handles are also new for the latest 5 Series.

The rear lights are slim LED units, and they look a bit like the ones you’ll find on the Mercedes AMG GT 4-door. There’s also a huge swathe of black trim across the rear bumper, something which mimics the updated BMW 3 Series.

The new 5 Series (right) is a more angular-looking car than the old model (left)

Comparing this new 5 series to the old one, you can see it has a much more angular front end with bigger kidney grilles. The double-bubble style headlights are also reminiscent of the old E60 BMW 5 Series of the mid-2000s.

The rear of the old car (left) is a bit more curvy than the new one (right)

Looking at the rear, it’s a similar story. The design hasn’t changed massively, it’s just become more angular with the slim LED taillights.

New BMW 5 Series interior and infotainment

The changes on the inside are a fair bit more dramatic than the outside. There’s a boatload more tech on board, and it looks a bit like a mini BMW 7 Series on the inside.

Old 5 Series on the left, new model on the right

You get a massive widescreen infotainment system as standard, with a 12.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It may not be as big as the Superscreen system you can get in the new Mercedes E-Class, but it does have a built-in games console so you can play games using your phone as a controller while you’re parked up charging.

The M60 gets some extra sporty trim

All 5 Series models come with heated sport seats as standard, and you can have them trimmed in a faux-leather material called Veganza. Full leather is also available as an option, and you can choose between aluminium, carbon fibre or wood trim for the dashboard.

Then there’s the option to upgrade the gear selector and rotary dials for shiny crystal ones, and there’s an optional panoramic sunroof for the first time on a 5 Series.

New BMW i5 motors and performance

This is the first time the BMW 5 Series has been available as a pure EV, and two versions will be available from launch.

The entry level model is called the eDrive 40, and it has a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. This puts out 240hp and 400Nm of torque, although there is a boost mode which gives you 430Nm of torque for a brief burst.

This model will do 0-60mph in 6.0-seconds, a bit quicker than the Mercedes EQE 350, but if that’s not quick enough for you then there’s a much faster version available.

The BMW i5 M60 has another motor on the front, giving you all-wheel-drive and a combined 601hp and 820Nm of torque. That’s very nearly as powerful as the outgoing BMW M5 Competition. This version will do 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds.

New BMW i5 batteries and range

Both the new BMW i5 eDrive 40 and the M60 have the same battery pack. It has 81.2kWh of usable capacity, which is slightly smaller than the 89kWh pack you get in the Mercedes EQE.

BMW claims that the eDrive 40 has up to 362 miles of range, slightly less than the 375 miles of range from the EQE 300. The M60 has up to 320 miles of range, less than the eDrive 40 but it’s a bit further than the 280 miles Mercedes claims for the AMG EQE 53.

New BMW 5 Series engines

If it’s an old-fashioned petrol engine you’re after, there’s just one option for now. The 520i isn’t without electrification either, because it gets mild-hybrid technology as standard.

The petrol versions of the new 5 Series will look the same as the i5 electric car (pictured)

It has 208hp, just over 20hp more than the outgoing 520i, and it’ll do 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds. That’s exactly the same as entry-level versions of the Mercedes E-Class.

How much is the new BMW 5 Series?

You can order the new BMW 5 Series in the UK now, and the basic 520i model starts from £49,850.

If one of the plug-in hybrids takes your fancy, the 530e starts from £59,455. Go for the more powerful 550e and you’ll have to part with £76,605.

The i5 eDrive 40 costs from £73,200, and the range-topping i5 M60 will set you back £96,840.

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