BMW i5 eDrive40: A core model for the future of the brand

Ask any BMW fan what they consider to be the brand’s “core” model, and they will most likely say that it is the 5-Series. And it’s true, as this model has a direct lineage to the New Class sedans of the 1960s. This was the reason BMW was able to be cemented as a de facto maker of sporty sedans and also pretty much saved the automaker from its financial crisis.

The 5-Series’ predecessor is equally important as it also served as the basis for the rest of the lineup, such as the 02 Series (now the 3-Series) or the E9 coupe, which introduced the iconic Hofmeister kink and the lengthened platform for the 6 and 7-Series models.

This means that whenever BMW makes any drastic change to the 5-Series, it’s a trend that the rest of the automaker’s lineup will follow, like with the legendary E34 and E39, the controversial, yet now beloved E60, and the G30, which is considered a return to form after the F10-generation.

And now, with the G60 generation now being the ground-up rework to accommodate a full-battery electric powertrain, we find ourselves with the i5, arguably the BEV that the core BMW customers and fans will gravitate towards.

For a price of Php 5,890,000, the i5 eDrive40 offers everything that you would expect out of a 5-Series locally, save for gobs of power and an extended roofline, only which the mad i5 M60 xDrive Touring offers for Php 2.1 million more.

Considering what BMW’s designers are putting out nowadays, the i5 retains that traditional, “conservative” approach for the lineup.

A proportionate, blocked-off kidney grille that is also illuminated, single-piece LED headlights, a three-box design featuring the Hofmeister kink, recessed door handles, and a side skirt with an interesting triangle texture not only to spice the side up, but also act as a way to improve aerodynamics, and a fairly standard rear end with LED taillights and L-shaped silver accents around the sides of the bumper.

This being the standard appearance package, it gets satin-silver accents, less aggressive bumpers, and two-tone 19-inch wheels with aero covers for efficiency.

One part that may surprise long-time 5-Series owners is that the current G60 is almost as big as an older 7-Series, measuring 5,060mm long, 1,900mm wide, and 1,515mm tall, with a wheelbase spanning 2,995mm. And that’s not even the long-wheelbase variant sold in China.

What this means is that when you sit down in this all-black, minimalist interior with Veganza upholstery, the passengers will benefit from a LOT of space inside, even if the lack of a sunroof makes the cabin feel slightly smaller than it actually is.

True to being a BMW, the approach is driver-centric (with a small catch), with incredibly supportive power-adjustable front seats giving you a perfect driving position with excellent visibility all around, and the remaining passengers have plenty of leg, head, and shoulder room to share.

But as I mentioned, the driver-centric approach comes with a small catch, as BMW has thrown out nearly 90% of its tactile hardware buttons in favor of touch, voice, and touch-sensitive controls for nearly all of the vehicle’s basic controls.

BMW’s Curved Display is a standard affair at this point, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.9-inch infotainment running the BMW Operating System 8.5 software. Everything is found here, even down to the digital climate controls, all buried within menus and capacitive buttons that make on-the-go operations a tad bit confusing.

It does have usable connected features like Maps with real-time traffic and charging locations, weather, and Spotify integration, but let’s face it, most people will just utilize the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Plus, charging options include a wireless charging pad, several USB-C ports littered about the car, and a 12V power outlet.

If there’s some solace, at least there are a few physical controls found within the car, such as two steering wheel knobs, window and trunk release switches, the gear selector, a volume jog dial, and an iDrive controller, the latter three made out of a crystalline-like material for extra flair.

You can also find this on the Interaction Bar, where LEDs offer attractive, eye-catching illumination across the front half of the dashboard, depending on the driving mode or selected colors. However, this strip also serves a second purpose, and it’s to control several features like your door locks, lighting settings, air vent strength (direction is controlled via small numbs underneath), and even your hazard button.

It’s fine in theory, as you need to press down firmly with haptic feedback as a confirmation that an action was done, but one of the biggest concerns I ran into is that there is a noticeable delay that can make it feel odd to use, especially for drivers who are used to pressing down on physical buttons without having to hunt for them, detracting from the driver-focused experience.

Regardless, passengers have plenty of amenities to enjoy, such as an excellent Harman Kardon sound system, quad-zone climate control, deployable rear sunshades, and even the BMW ConnectedDrive system, for owners who want to keep track of every detail of their vehicle.

And for cargo capacity, the i5 normally has a spacious 490L boot with some space underneath which can easily swallow a few golf bags and then some, but BMW Philippines has optioned our local variant with a donut spare tire. It’s a compromise in cargo space, but most would rather have that instead of having to deal with towing your car when you can’t fix your flat tire

But all of this tech and comfort is meaningless if the vehicle can’t drive well, right? While lacking the sensory feedback that an ICE engine produces, the driving dynamics have been tuned to give the same BMW experience you’d expect. 

While feeling a little too over-assisted, it still has quick, responsive, and precise steering input, and some of the best-feeling brakes on a non-sporty EV as the transition from regenerative to hydraulic braking is imperceptible. The ride and handling is a great balance between comfortable and sporty, albeit you can feel the vehicle’s mass shift during acceleration and cornering.

Even if it may just have a single, rear-mounted electric motor pushing out 340 horsepower and 430Nm of torque, all of that electric oomph is delivered instantaneously, allowing the car to hit 100kph in six seconds flat.

But, don’t floor it too often, as you won’t be able to reach the 81.2kWh battery’s rated range figure of up to 582km. In my real-world experience, I was only able to hit 50% after 200km of real-world driving, with average consumption sitting at 6km/kWh. At least it supports DC fast charging, allowing you to top up from 10 to 80% in about 30 minutes, apart from AC charging.

One last gripe about this vehicle is that unlike BMW Philippines’ recent offerings (such as the X5 and X3 PHEV), this vehicle’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) suite is lacking, not offering adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera, while still having lane-keeping assistance, a blind-spot monitor with automatic rear braking, and the reversing assistant. Perhaps this will be fixed in a future variant?

As mentioned earlier, whenever the 5-Series undergoes a major change, we see the rest of BMW’s lineup follow suit. We’re seeing that happen again, but this time, BMW is set to undergo an even more radical change as it will introduce an all-new EV platform with its upcoming Neue Klasse vehicles and the “Heart of Joy” control system.

But for those who can’t wait, the i5 proves to be an excellent buy for those who want a model that bridges the past, present, and future of BMW. Is it a good car? Of course. Is it controversial, especially for BMW fans? Yes, but it shows that BMW is willing to push the envelope instead of stagnating where they are.

_{^{Photos from BMW Classic and Sam Surla}}