BMW reveals Australia pricing for premium i5 electric sedans

BMW has released the pricing for the upcoming premium 15 electric sedan offerings, having announced the key specifications in May.

And, as you would expect, the prices for the premium products come at a premium, for both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive sedans:

• BMW i5 eDrive40 – $155,900 before on-roads
• BMW i5 M60 xDrive – $215,900 before on-roads

There is also a 520i ICE mild-hybrid variant which starts at $114,900 before on-roads, highlighting the ongoing price difference between battery and fossil fuel variants.

All three variants will be produced at BMW Group’s Dingolfing plant in Germany. This is also the plant where the electric motors and battery packs are produced for the all-electric i5.

All three variants feature the iconic and sometimes divisive kidney grille design which BMW is synonymous for.

Staying on the outside, the new i5 has an adaptive LED headlight system which also consists of the matrix high-beam with blue design elements. This helps give the new i5 a distinctive look when compared to many luxury sedans on the market.

Looking at the dimensions of the new 5 series, it has grown when it comes to length, in comparison with the previous generation. It’s now 97 mm longer in length and stands at:

• 5,060 mm in length
• 1,900 mm in width
• 1,515 mm in height

There are also choices of various wheel sizes ranging between 19 and 21-inches. The design of these alloys takes into account aerodynamics to improve airflow and increase the efficiency of the electric variants.

When it comes to the drivetrain specifications and performance, the BMW i5 eDrive40 variant produces up to 250 kW of power and 430 Nm of torque. The base electric variant can do the  0-100 km/h run in 6 seconds. It also can reach a top speed of 193 km/h.

The more powerful performance-orientated i5 M60 xDrive delivers up to 442 kW of power and 820 Nm of torque. It can do the same sprint to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. The top speed is also bumped up to 230 km/h.

A common battery pack is shared by both electric variant with a capacity of 84 kWh. This provides a WLTP ranges of 582 km for the i5 eDrive40 variant. Meanwhile the top-of-the-range i5 M60 xDrive can drive up to 516 km on a single charge.

When it comes to charging the battery, there is 11 kW of AC charging available. 

On longer trips, fast charging speeds of up to 205 kW can also be achieved at the right high-powered DC chargers. The DC peak charging speeds will help charge the battery from 10-80% in around 30 minutes.

The interior of the new 5 series takes a lot of the design and comfort features from BMW’s bigger more luxurious 7 series model.

In most modern cars, the infotainment system plays a big part in the driving experience. The new 5 series now offers a combination of a 12.3-inch display screen as well as a larger 14.9-inch control display. 

The infotainment screens are now also running a new BMW Operating System with QuickSelect menu functionality.

To help improve the overall drive experience, the new 5 series has active steering as standard on the i5 range. The new steering wheel is flattened at the lower end and provides haptic feedback for controls to the driver.

The first of the new 5 series vehicles including the two i5 variants are expected to arrive before the end of 2023.

With the lack of large sedan options from popular electrified brands like Tesla in the Australian market, the new BMW 5 series will find many buyers looking to upgrade to a new large premium sedan.

2024 BMW 5 Series line-up at a glance

Paintwork

 Non metallic

Alpine White (no cost option for all models)

Metallic ($2,000 for 520i; no cost option for i5)

– M Carbon Black

– Black Sapphire

– Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect

– Mineral White

– Phytonic Blue

– Oxide Grey

– M Brooklyn Grey

– Cape York Green


BMW Individual Metallic
– Tanzanite Blue (520i: $4,400; i5: $2,400)

– Frozen Pure Grey (520i: $7,000; i5: $5,000)

– Frozen Deep Grey (520i: $7,000; i5: $5,000)

Upholstery

M Alcantara/Veganza combination (520i: standard; i5: N/A)         
– Black

Veganza, perforated and quilted (No cost option for 520i; i5: N/A)

– Smoke White
– Burgundy

– Espresso Brown

– Black
BMW Individual Leather ‘Merino’ (520i: $4,000; i5: no cost option)    

– Black/Atlas Grey

– Copper Brown/Atlas Grey

– Silverstone/Atlas Grey   

Interior trims
All no cost options

 – Dark Silver accent combined with fine-wood trim Grey Blue Ash, open-pored

– Dark Chrome accent combined with fine wood trim Fineline Light open-pored

– Dark Silver accent combined with fine-wood trim Dark Oak high-gloss

– BMW Individual Silver Bronze accent combined with fine-wood trim ‘Fineline’, open-pored and Silver Bronze inlay

– Dark Silver M accent combined with Carbon Fibre and high-gloss silver threads

– Dark Silver M accent combined with Aluminium Rhombicle          

Alloy wheels
– 20-inch M light alloy wheels Star-spoke style 938 M Bicolour Jet Black
(520i: $1,600; i5: no cost option)
– 20-inch M aerodynamic wheels 939 M Bicolour Black Grey

(520i: $1,600; i5: no cost option)

20-inch M aerodynamic wheels 940 M Bicolour Jet Black (standard on i5 M60 xDrive)

21-inch BMW Individual aerodynamic wheels 954/Bicolour Jet Black

(520i: $3,800; i5 eDrive40: $2,200; i5 M60 xDrive: no cost option)

M Sport package (standard on 520i and i5 eDrive40)

 M front and rear apron design

• M High-Gloss Shadow Line
• M Sport brakes with callipers in dark blue metallic
• M 19-inch light alloy wheels (520i) and M 20-inch light alloy wheels (i5 eDrive40)
• M leather steering wheel, three-spoke, flat-bottom design
• M headliner Alcantara Anthracite

M Sport Plus (i5 eDrive40: $4,200; i5 M60 xDrive: $4,000)

 21” BMW Individual light alloy wheels (already a no cost option on the i5 M60 xDrive)

• M Sport Pro:

• M red brake callipers, alternatively finished in dark blue metallic
• M Lights Shadow Line
• M Seat Belts

• BMW Individual High-Gloss Shadow Line with extended Contents, in Black High-Gloss:

• Radiator grille frame
• Radiator grille struts (520i, i5 eDrive40)
• Rear taillights trim strip
• M Carbon Exterior Mirror Caps
• M Carbon Rear Spoiler

• M Carbon Exterior Package:

• M Carbon Exterior Mirror Caps
• M Carbon Rear Spoiler

Equipment program

 Enhancement package (520i: $5,400)
– 21″ BMW Individual aerodynamic wheels 954/Bicolour Jet Black

– Metallic Paintwork

– Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound
Note: Also available with BMW Individual Tanzanite Blue for $7,800 and BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey or Deep Grey for $10,400

Comfort Package (520i/i5 eDrive40: $5,700; i5 M60 xDrive: $3,200)
– Steering Wheel Heating

– Roller Sunblinds

– Active seat ventilation, front (already standard on i5 M60 xDrive)

– Comfort seats, front

– BMW CraftedClarity Glass Application (already standard on i5 M60 xDrive)

– Seat Heating, rear

– Automatic Air Conditioning with 4-Zone Control (already standard on i5 M60 xDrive)

Riz Akhtar

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.