BMW has announced that the latest i5 range of cars will be coming to Australia, including two new electric cars.
BMW’s i5 range is a collection of luxury sedans, and up until now, they’ve been all petrol-engine and hybrid models. They’re gorgeous cars that are quite highly priced. Now, for the first time ever, BMW’s i5 series will also include two electric models – the i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 xDrive.
Unfortunately, BMW’s colour-changing car from CES 2023 is not among the new cars coming to Australia, but we can only hope that one day the concept car will make its way here.
The i5 M60 xDrive is of particular note, sporting the ‘M Power’ high-performance badge. The M60 xDrive will mark the third M Power model available in Australia (following the i4 M50 and iX M60). Sorry, that was an unnecessary tangent – I love BMW.
Both cars also come with video streaming and in-car gaming features. “The driver and passengers can enjoy games while the vehicle is stationary, for example, to bridge waiting times while charging the high-voltage battery of the BMW i5,” according to BMW.
The gaming features leverage AirConsole, a videogame streaming platform, which BMW announced it would be using back in October. While the car is parked or charging, passengers can use gaming controllers and their smartphones to play games on the infotainment system. The games on offer include various competitive quizzes, along with Go Kart Go, Golazo, Music Guess, and Overcooked.
That’s… Cool, I guess. I don’t know – I love cool weird things like this but I kind of miss when cars were just cars.
Anyway let’s talk about specs, starting with the i5 M60 xDrive.
The BMW i5 M60 xDrive will be capable of 516km WLTP range, capable of a 0-100km speed in just 3.8 seconds. With an AWD drivetrain, the M60 is powered by an 84kW battery, and is capable of producing 442kW of power and 820Nm torque. It’ll ship with 21-inch alloy wheels, ‘M’ suspension, and an ‘M’ spoiler.
As an aside, I really am not a fan of the grill on the i5 M60 xDrive. It looks mean and electric, sure, but it also looks a little busy and cluttered. BMWBlog does a great walkaround of the car below.
Then, we have the i5 eDrive40. With a RWD drivetrain, the i5 eDrive40 has a WLTP range of 584km, and a 0-100km speed of just six seconds. It’s powered by the same 84kW battery as the M60, but is only capable of producing 250kW power and 430Nm torque (due to being RWD). It’s fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels and adaptive suspension.
Again, BMWBlog does a walkaround of the car below.
Both cars include a five-year subscription to the ChargeFox charging network, Veganza upholstery, a fast-charging cable, a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system, metallic paint (with specific finishes to be confirmed), automatic tailgates, driver assistance features, LED headlights, tyre pressure monitor system and repair kit, park assistance, and a panoramic roof. Additionally, both cars can utilise 250kW fast charging.
The i5 range, including a petrol-engine vehicle and the two above electric vehicles, will launch in Australia later this year. Pricing is to be confirmed, though U.S. pricing for the i5 eDrive40 starts at $67,795 (about $104,130 in Australia), while pricing for the M60 starts at $85,095 (about $130,700 in Australia). If only I had the money for one.