All-new BMW 5 Series and i5 premieres in Singapore

The all-new BMW 5 Series has premiered in Singapore, and for the first time will be offered in full-electric i5 form. Pricing starts at $385,888 with COE for the 520i, while the electric i5 eDrive40 variant starts from $417,888 with COE.

Those are the prices for the base model trim, but both are also available in sportier M Sport spec, with prices going at $393,888 with COE for the 520i M Sport, and $428,888 with COE for the i5 eDrive40 M Sport. The M Sport cars get a lower and sportier suspension setup, as well as slightly more aggressive design elements.

Finally, there are also a limited run of 20 Launch Edition units for both models (10 of each), with the 520i Launch Edition going for $392,888 with COE, and the i5 eDrive40 Launch Edition retailing at $430,888 with COE. The Launch Edition models feature unique 20-inch wheels exclusively finished in Titanium Bronze, which are also applied to the interior and exterior trim as well as the grille.

The new 5 Series was announced earlier this year, and the car has grown substantially in all dimensions. The latest version is now 5,060mm long (+97mm from the outgoing model), 1,900mm wide (+32mm), and 1,515mm tall (+36mm), with its wheelbase now standing at 2,995mm (+20mm).

The design language takes a step of evolution rather than revolution, with the large double kidney grille dominating up front, available with the Iconic Glow illumination around the frame of the grille, and paired with slim new LED headlights.The rear end design is reminiscent of the latest 7 Series, with its slim LED taillights, while the Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar features an embossed "5" within it.

The interior too takes its cues from the 7 Series, with the BMW Curved Display double screen setup now featuring prominently on the dashboard. The central infotainment screen is a 14.9-inch item, and combines with the 12.3-inch digital driver instrument display to form the impression of one large screen. The dashboard design is further complemented by the BMW Interaction Bar, a backlit element with crystalline effect with adjustable lighting and touch sensitive control panels, and is another feature borrowed from the 7 Series.

The car now uses the latest BMW Operating System 8.5, which now has a revised user interface and what BMW calls "QuickSelect", which enables functions to be accessed directly without having to switch to a submenu. The car also comes with the Parking Assistant Plus package as standard, which includes features such as Parking View, Panorama View front and 3D View functions, as well as a Remote 3D View function that allows drivers to view a 3D live image of the vehicle and its surroundings transmitted to their smartphone (currently only available for iPhones with iOS 16.2).

Power for the 520i comes from a 2.0-litre turbo inline-four engine that produces 190hp and 310Nm of torque, allowing the car to go from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds, and reach a top speed of 230km/h. The first-ever i5 eDrive40 meanwhile has a power output of 313hp and 400Nm of torque, which can be boosted to a maximum of 340hp and 430Nm of torque when the car's My Mode Sport and Sport Boost/Launch Control functions are activated. This enables the i5 to go from 0-100km/h in 6.0 seconds, and hit a top speed of 193km/h.

The i5 eDrive40 utilises an 81.2kWh battery, and BMW claims that the car can offer up a range of up to 582km on a full charge. Electric power consumption is rated 19.5kWh/100km, and the car can take up to 205kW in DC fast charging, in which case the battery can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in just 30 minutes.

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This article was first published in CarBuyer.