There are cars that cover a wide area and appeal to a large number of people. Also,
oftentimes, these cars are forgettable. Then there are cars that are optimised for a few
specific tasks, but do those tasks exceptionally well, and they do seem to leave an
impression. The BMW i5 LWB is one of those cars, and I would go so far as to call it similar
to a Rolls-Royce Spectre, at least in its core philosophy.
BMW is rather good at finding niches in the market, and that’s what they have done with the
i5 LWB, which is the only long-wheelbase electric luxury sedan this side of ₹1 crore. And
similar to the 3 Series, the base model is long wheelbase, and the top model is M Sport. But
we are not here to talk about the top model; we are here to get to know the i5 LWB, and
calling it a base model doesn’t paint an accurate picture.
I feel the G60 generation of the 5 Series is decidedly more identifiable than the classically
good-looking G30, and the E60-esque headlamps, though not as elongated to be called
eagle-eye, are one of the best things about the front end. The grille is still pretty large,
though not so large as to require its own PIN code. On that front, the 7 Series and the
M3/M4 duo still take the cake. Also, maybe because it’s an EV, but here the grille
illumination suits the car better than on the ICE model, and creates a visual effect that’s
similar to Nothing! Also, the C-pillar has a new interpretation of the iconic Hofmeister kink,
which is modern and traditional at the same time.
The interior is extremely well-appointed, as you’d expect from a car in its class, and there’s a
17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, which sounds extremely good. There’s a
panoramic glass roof, which I am not a fan of, but customers in this segment seem to
appreciate, and just in case you think the Sun itself has become a spot of bother, you can
unleash the effect of the four-zone climate control that comes standard and mitigate that.
The seats do have sufficient bolstering; this is a BMW after all, but the floor is raised for the
battery, and that can be felt even if you haven’t recently been inside the ICE version of the 5
Series.
The i5 LWB comes in a single i5 eDrive35L M Sport variant, which means there’s a single
motor producing 272PS and 410Nm. This makes it marginally more potent than the 530Li M
Sport, which develops 258PS and 400Nm. The petrol-powered model is lighter by a
considerable amount, though, and thus has a quicker 0-100kmph acceleration time of 6.5
seconds as compared to the 6.7 seconds of the i5. But if you intend to drive like that, then
you are better off in the i5 M60 xDrive, which sits much higher in the pecking order. The
33kWh battery has an MIDC-rated range of 669km, which means a real-world range where
you don’t have to worry about covering 500km. Also, if you can find a charger that is 160kW,
then the car can be juiced up in just a little over half an hour (10-80 percent SoC).
While it is not designed for sporty handling, as BMW has fitted an air suspension at the rear
to maximise comfort, it is still, at the end of the day, a BMW, and thus while there is a touch
of body roll, it can be hustled through corners with surprising agility, belying its length and
wheelbase. This is more for wafting along in the lap of luxury, cocooned in comfort, with the
air suspension filtering out the worst of the road surfaces. It is a better vehicle to be
chauffeured around in than to be behind the wheel of, though when you do take the steering,
it doesn’t disappoint.
With a price tag of ₹79.60 lakh, it is ⅔rd the price of the i5 M60 xDrive, and is therefore
surprisingly good value. This is also the proper 5 Series experience prospective customers
will be looking for when they are in the market for an electric luxury sedan from BMW, unless
they are thinking of opting for the i7. The long wheelbase configuration is the added bonus
here, and the legroom at the rear will help make the decision easier. With Audi’s relevance
waning and Mercedes-Benz not having the EQE Sedan in LWB format here, BMW is one
again going to laugh all the way to the bank!
