The BMW i5 was officially launched, with a total of 5 models launched, with a price range of 439,900-639,900 RMB. As the mainstay of the BMW brand, the 5 Series family has been in its eighth generation since its birth in 1972. It also brings the pure electric BMW i5 for the first time, marking the best-selling BMW entering the smart electric era.
● New car features
In terms of appearance, the i5 and 5 series also have two appearance styles, sports package and luxury package, and there is no obvious difference between fuel models and pure electric models. In fact, in comparison, the sporty design version, especially the front face, looks more energetic, and the design style of the sports suit is not ostentatious, so it can be called IKEA.
The length, width and height are 5175/1900/1520mm respectively, and the wheelbase is still 3105mm, which is consistent with the current model. However, the side profile of the car body has been completely redesigned. The longer rear of the current model has been replaced by the short and smooth fastback shape of the new model. The entire body posture looks more sporty, and there is no incongruity in the lengthened model. In terms of details, the luminous digital logo on the C-pillar of the new car is exclusive to the domestic version. This logo will also flash according to the charging status on the i5.
Coming to the rear of the car, the new model adopts a simple design scheme. By elongating the lights, decorative strips and other elements laterally, it highlights the horizontal visual effect of the car. The three-dimensional and stylish surroundings further interpret the youthful sportiness.
The interior design of the BMW 7 Series has also been applied and evolved on the new 5 Series. The interactive ambient light strip similar to the 7 Series can even be displayed in different colors and areas on the BMW i5, plus a 12.3-inch instrument +14.9 The continuous screen design of the 2-inch central control screen makes the interior of the car full of visual effects. Sitting in the front row will give you a feeling of a small 7 Series.
In the central control area, you can see a large number of design solutions derived from the family flagship, such as the crystal-cut iDrive control knob and a large number of touch buttons, which create a good sense of luxury for front-row passengers.
The addition of the BMW OS 8.5 version of the central control system can be said to allow old-school car companies like BMW to compete with new car-making forces in intelligent interaction. In addition to natural semantic recognition, this car can also use cameras to Recognizes the driver’s body language and “eye color” to control the vehicle. Currently, on highways or closed roads, the driving assistance system of the BMW i5 can visually confirm active lane changes and overtaking through the driver’s eyes. This is quite interesting, and we are also looking forward to an actual test drive of this function. experience. In terms of V2X Internet of Vehicles, this generation of BMW 5 Series models can already interact in real time with BMW models that are also equipped with V2X functions. The vehicle can receive and display danger warnings from other BMW cars, predict parking spaces at the destination, etc. wait.
In order to cater to the car needs of Chinese customers, the iDrive 8.5 system of the BMW i5 also integrates China’s exclusive WeChat in-vehicle version function, further integrating into the WeChat ecosystem. You can conveniently use WeChat to communicate with friends instantly in the cockpit, or through the car WeChat receives navigation and positioning information and uses the vehicle navigation system to navigate directly.
In terms of the rear entertainment system, although the rear comfort configuration of the BMW i5 is not as rich as that of its bigger brother, the 7 Series, the suspended giant screen overhead, which is the same as the 7 Series, is not absent. The 31-inch floating screen with up to 8K on the 7 Series is definitely a powerful tool to attract everyone’s attention. For the Chinese market, BMW’s rear entertainment system ecology not only involves the iQiyi platform, but also introduces the Huawei App Market to provide A wealth of entertainment.
In terms of power, the i5 uses BMW’s self-developed excitation synchronous motor. BMW is currently the only luxury car company to use excitation synchronous motors. The unique brush module of the excitation synchronous motor has a long life and efficient and quiet performance. Compared with permanent magnet synchronous The motor can also show superior acceleration performance in the medium and high speed range. The domestic i5 is equipped with fifth-generation eDrive technology. The BMW i5 eDrive35L has a maximum power of 210 kilowatts and a maximum torque of 410 N·m. The battery is a ternary lithium battery with a capacity of 79.05kWh and a CLTC pure electric cruising range of 536km. At the same time, the i5 M60 has a maximum power of 442 kilowatts and a peak torque of 795 Nm, which is equivalent to the previous generation BMW M5 model. The dual-motor four-wheel drive version accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds. It is faster and quieter than the new generation i5. Features of M series models, in addition, users can activate the Sport Boost function through the paddles at any time to instantly gain an additional 30 Nm of torque output.
In terms of charging, the i5 can achieve a maximum charging power of 205kW at a BMW super charging station, and the 10-80% charging time is approximately 32 minutes. At present, about 50 supercharging stations have been implemented, covering 17 cities in China. At the same time, in the first half of 2024, BMW will launch a DC smart charging wall box, which uses DC charging technology to support up to 22kW charging power, greatly improving the charging speed of household piles.
As an electric car, the BMW i5 still pursues driving pleasure, which is even better than the fuel version of the 5 Series. For example, the integrated braking system shortens the braking distance by up to 20%, and the 9th generation lateral dynamics management system allows for stronger cornering control, and the electric power steering system with variable steering ratio can also provide more fun between calmness and relaxation. In terms of suspension, it is equipped with a further optimized double-wishbone double-ball joint front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, which takes into account control flexibility and ride comfort.
On the i5, delicate adjustments also bring feedback for more fun driving, including multiple driving modes, as well as a single-pedal mode in B gear. There is also a new Sport Boost function, which can be activated at any time through the paddle on the left side of the steering wheel. Bringing an additional 30 Nm of torque output. There is also a long battery life mode, which can maximize battery life when the battery is low.
In terms of intelligent driving assistance systems, “safety first” human-machine co-driving allows users to have clear usage boundaries. The BMW i5 applies an attention monitoring system and a capacitive sensing steering wheel. For example, the BMW i5 is equipped with an automatic lane change function with line of sight confirmation. When the driver’s line of sight is confirmed, the vehicle can automatically overtake within the speed range of 60-180 km/h. And the intelligent driving assistance system it carries has been extensively updated and localized for debugging based on the characteristics of the Chinese market, Chinese road conditions and user driving habits.
● Competing models
“Mercedes-Benz EQE”
“NIO ET7”
Just as the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class are old rivals, the rival of the BMW i5 is the Mercedes-Benz EQE. As a Mercedes-Benz EQ family model, it adopts a more unique design concept and its battery life performance is also more advantageous. Of course, the i5 is a latecomer. The new technology also performed well. Of course, as an electric car, it has to face China’s new forces. At this price, there are NIO ET7 and others. Whether it is product strength or the service experience brought by new forces, it is also the pressure that BMW i5 has to face.
