BMW has finally taken the wraps off its next-generation 2024 BMW 5 Series. The new 5 Series, which BMW bills as the “world’s most successful business sedan” as it is indeed the world’s best-seller since its introduction in 1972, receives its most extensive generational change to date as it comes in a fully-electric i5 for the first time.
Starting with its design, the new 2024 BMW 5 Series looks surprisingly tame compared to the brand’s recent and controversial efforts. There’s no large kidney grille to see here. Instead, what you get is a well-proportioned sedan that balances elegance and sportiness. The changes are quite significant, too, borrowing design cues from the facelifted 3 Series and a few elements from the 7 Series. Flushed door handles are also part of the update, along with horizontal LED taillights that break away from BMW’s tradition of L-shaped lights.
Inside, the new 2024 BMW 5 Series comes with an updated version of iDrive 8, which is called iDrive 8.5. There’s a now familiar 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch main infotainment screen that’s housed in a single curved glass, and as expected comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a new AirConsole, which is a feature that BMW announced in 2022 that will let you play games in the infotainment when the vehicle is stationary.
As for the interior design itself, many of the design flourishes are inspired by the 7 Series, but in the 5 Series, the design is skewed more towards offering a sporty, cocooned space as opposed to the palatial feel of the bigger sedan. Some of those design flourishes from the 7 Series include the LED-lit interaction bar, though the 30-inch BMW Theater Screen did not make it into the 5 Series since this vehicle will mostly be driven by its owner.
Electrification is the main highlight in the new 2024 BMW 5 Series, because this time around, every powertrain receives varying degrees of voltage power. What the Philippine market will most likely get is the 520i and 530i we’ve come to be familiar with. Both models use a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine that’s mated to a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The former produces 205 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque while the latter 255 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. As expected, both are fitted with an 8-speed automatic.
The first-ever i5 will come with an 84.3 kWh battery that can accept up to 11 kW AC or 205 kW DC charging. With that battery size comes two drivetrain choices. The entry-level eDrive40 has a single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) layout that produces 335 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque and is good enough for a 0-62 mph time of 5.8 seconds. On the other hand, the i5 M60 M Performance model’s dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrain produces 590 horsepower and 795 Nm of torque, dropping the 0-100 kph time to just 3.8 seconds.
BMW knows that the i5 is going to be heavier than the normal 5 Series, which is why it’s fitted with rear-axle air suspension and stroke-dependent shock absorbers as standard. What’s standard on all whether its the 5 Series or i5 is variable-ratio sports steering, but splurging for the i5 M60 will get you rear-axle steering while a 48-volt active roll stabilization–a first for BMW, will also be offered.
The 2024 BMW 5 Series will first go on sale in Europe and North American markets before the year ends. A Philippine launch could happen sometimes in 2024.
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