Like its 7 Series sibling, the 8th-gen BMW 5 Series is now available in Mzansi in internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle (EV) guises. Does the range cater equally well for traditionalists and EV converts, or is the German brand “actively steering” buyers towards buying battery-powered derivatives? Calvin Fisher investigates.
When we descended upon the West Coast, our mission was clear: evaluate BMW’s new 5 Series (G60), which would be available in 2 distinct flavours on the day: electric and that which burns the dark stuff.
To be clear, on offer on this sunny Cape day was the potent i5 M60 and 520d – the pragmatist’s choice. With grippy palms and feverish forearms, I wrestled the key fob to the nearest Five. My mantra of “take the diesel, it’s the responsible choice” went right out the window the moment I settled in the i5 M60’s plush cabin. Real talk, I regret nothing… albeit only at this point in the launch itinerary, more on that later.
This marks the 8th coming of the 5 Series, which makes it the most storied model in BMW’s portfolio. It is purported to be the consummate full-sized sports sedan – and family saloon, if you’d like it to be that.
Despite being a family man myself, I quickly checked in my Dad Card and chose to drive the battery-electric whip first, not because I wanted to save Mother Earth, but because I had selfish aspirations to render her glorious backdrops a wicked blur. I mean, I wanted to go fast since I had 442 kW and 820 Nm of torque at the disposal of my right foot… and that doesn’t happen every day.
I’ll have one with BOOST, please
There’s a lot to report, such as how the new BMW 5 Series’ aesthetics, when viewed online, probably lack something – perhaps that “hewn from granite” presence you only truly appreciate when up close with the metal. The new Five is handsome, well-proportioned and, thanks to clever ground effects (blackened diffusers, sills, and such), manages that low-slung styling that begs for a sleeper build.
Except, there’s no need when you’re wearing that i5 M60 badge because performance lives here – and in spades. Let’s review the stats, shall we? A properly ballistic 0-to-100 kph sprint time of 3.8 sec and a top speed of 230 kph, all of which are achievable thanks to the electric powertrain’s lofty peak outputs.
For that, thank “Boost mode”, which gives you 10 glorious seconds of maximum acceleration (I imagine it has a similar effect to F1’s drag-reduction system, which dials overtaking manoeuvres up to eleven). But how often will you need it? In the default drive mode, the i5 M60’s driver has access to 795 Nm of torque (just 25 Nm less than in Boost mode), which should be sufficient to pass anyone not named Verstappen.
But before we discuss the all-electric 5 Series’ neck-twerking acceleration, it is probably an opportune moment to discuss the model’s groovily-appointed cabin. You know you’re in one of the Munich-based brand’s futuristic EVs when the interior resembles a light show with tactile surfaces that complement a powerhouse of an infotainment screen, itself dominating the dashboard because of its sheer presence.
You don’t require the full list of abbreviations and acronyms for the safety and techno features, do you? It’s a contemporary BMW model, dear reader, you’ll want for nothing here. There are more than 40 driver-assistance technologies at work in the new 5 Series and, with the aid of a high-res 8-megapixel camera, the G60 Five benefits from augmented views for turn-by-turn navigation and a more detailed park-assist function. Harman Kardon audio system? Check. Anthracite headliner? Sure, why not?
Today, more than 20 million vehicles are connected to BMW Cloud and 10 million users utilise the BMW app on their phones. For its digital brain, the new Five utilises BMW Operating System 8.5, which means it incorporates more controls and augmentation than ever before, with a heavy bias towards navigation, entertainment and the obligatory (and simplified) climate control settings. These 3 facets function as pillars for the operating system and represent the most commonly used features on the home screen.
Drive modes and mood lighting make for a dynamic ambience, but BMW’s business-like demeanour prevents the experience from feeling cheap or chintzy. This remains an executive sedan at its very core.
Sportiness is also in its makeup, so perhaps there’s still a kernel of truth in the Five’s unofficial ethos of “luxurious like a Seven, sporty like a Three”. It shines through in the i5 M60, especially thanks to the Adaptive M Suspension Professional including active roll stabilisation and active rear-wheel steering.
These matter little when the new BMW is surging down the highway, where Boost mode and its Hans Zimmer noises make flattening the loud pedal precisely that – voluminous and otherworldly, like an alien brandishing a space trumpet, accompanied by the kind of rush only 800+ Newton metres can provide.
Before we get to the twisties, let’s unpack the i5 M60’s spec a little more. The M Package, which comes standard on the M60, can be summed up as mainly a series of visual hop-ups, such as the 8-mm lower stance, slipperier exterior mirrors, M Sport pedals, diffusers, a rear spoiler and the horizontal slats on the kidney grille (distinct on the M). Plus, it comes fitted with 21-inch alloys, instead of 19s. What is, however, standard across the range is the red stripe at 12 o’clock on the tiller, even in the turbodiesel version.
So, let’s discuss the 520d. Climbing aboard the ICE version of the 5 Series feels much the same as it does in the i5 M60. But there are differences – the non-M spec is wholly noticeable from the start. Even the Boost mode, similarly assigned to the left paddle (the only paddle in the EV) feels ironic here.
Tugging on it certainly doesn’t elicit the same sense of exhilaration as in the EV, but how can it? Earlier, we had beyond 800 Nm to exploit, now there was no more than 400 Nm on tap. That is NOT a meagre torque output but… I had been spoiled by the i5 M60. I should have driven the sensible turbodiesel first.
Even bereft of the maniacal e-drivetrain, there’s much to love about the 520d. This car feels wholly BMW, a classic executive sedan that has some shove and rides pliantly. It’s more softly sprung than the i5 M60, but almost as pointy and full of steering feedback. More BMW, less occasion? Yes, you could say that!
Whereas the i5 M60 has a frankly ludicrous 442 kW at its disposal, the 520d goes into battle with a more modest 145 kW, but remember it is about R940k more affordable than the former. A clever mild-hybrid 8-speed transmission that pitches in with 13kW/200Nm makes for quick gear changes with minimal loss of momentum – it’s seamless. Thus, equipping the 520d with a 0-100 kph time of 7.3 sec. It’s no slouch.
And that’s good, because the 520d remains the only ICE offering in the G60 5 Series line-up. There’s a performance midpoint in the form of the i5 40 with 250 kW, but I’d be telling you a barefaced lie if I said that I don’t miss the 3.0-litre inline-6 turbopetrol engine in this line-up; it is conspicuous by its absence.
The electric derivatives’ pricing includes a wall box for home charging, which we reckon is mandatory for EV owners in Mzansi. On that note, charge times have gone down and claimed ranges have gone up, so that’s a win-win. Specifically, you have a 500 km range in the i5 M60 and a 580 km range in the i5 40.
How much does the new BMW 5 Series cost in SA?
| BMW 520d | R1 247 894 |
| BMW i5 40 | R1 842 500 |
| BMW i5 M60 | R2 190 000 |
All derivatives come with a 2-year/unlimited km warranty and a 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.
The latest BMW prices and specifications
Summary
Last year, just over half of the total EV sales in South Africa were BMW products (including the Mini SE). With the i5, the marque continues to drive electrification forward. To earn its xDrive badge, this i5 M60 derives 192 kW from the front motors, plus 250 kW from the rear (hence AWD) and, due to its low centre of gravity (thank you lardy batteries) handles like it sits on rails, whilst delivering flavourful feedback from the steering wheel. It’s a near-perfect flagship for the G60 5 Series… well, at least until the M5 debuts.
As an EV, the i5 M60 charges quicker than before and somehow boasts a physics-defying drag coefficient of just 0.23 despite that formidable profile. It achieves this with an optimised underfloor design, aggressive use of air curtains and active air vents with alloy wheels designed with aero in mind. BMW wanted to make sure that the all-electric version of its longest-serving model would turn heads…
Well, it does. The result is sublime – a classic BMW driver’s car with enough torque through the chassis to affix a permanent smile on your face. Understandably, the entry-level 520d is merely a well-resolved offering by comparison – the more prudent choice at a saner price point – and the lack of a turbopetrol version, let alone an inline-6-powered one, speaks volumes for BMW’s long-term plans for the 5 Series.
With the G60 5 Series line-up (as it stands), BMW has made its position in the ICE versus EV debate abundantly clear. It’ll keep offering ICE variants for as long as they’re viable (probably longer than the staunchest environmentalists would like), but the all-electric derivatives are likely to hog the limelight.
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