The next-generation BMW 5 Series sedan debuts later this month. Two new teasers preview the electric i5, which will also break cover alongside its sibling, providing a peek at the new model’s front-end design and sleek interior.
The exterior teaser only shows the i5’s silhouette and front-end lighting elements. The EV will feature sleek headlights high on the face, with an illuminated kidney grille. The other teaser is a tad more revealing, showing off a portion of the dash-spanning screen and an ambient lighting element that spans from the doors to the dash. Both short teaser videos also include what sounds like the whirl of an electric motor.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the next-generation 5 Series, but we did take the opportunity to test drive a 2024 i5 prototype, learning some details about the EV. When it launches, BMW will offer the i5 in two configurations. The entry-level eDrive40 will have a single rear-mounted motor producing 335 horsepower. The hotter M60 xDrive will have a dual-motor setup making 590 hp.
BMW hasn’t disclosed the i5’s range or battery capacity. However, it’s aiming for the i5 eDrive40 to offer 295 miles. We expect the more potent M60 to offer less than that, but we won’t know for sure until the automaker confirms the numbers. BMW might even expand the lineup beyond the two launch variants.
While BMW highlights the electric i5 ahead of the big reveal, the automaker will offer plug-in hybrid and electrified powertrains in the regular 5 Series sedan, including the potent M5 that will debut later. BMW hasn’t said when we could see it break cover. We expect the M5 to arrive with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that could make over 700 hp.
We won’t have to wait long after the reveal, set for May 24 in Europe, for the new BMW to hit the streets. Next-gen 5 Series production begins this summer at the company’s Dingolfing, Germany, factory, with sales expected to start in October. We will have to wait for the 5 Serious Touring wagon, though, which our spy photographers have already captured out testing. The automaker hasn’t said when to expect the long-roof version to debut.
Gallery: 2024 BMW i5 Prototype: First Drive
