BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro Saloon (2023 - )

The BMW i5 is a four-door, five-seat saloon car that is elegance, packed to bursting with high-end technology and boasts the fifth-generation of BMW’s eDrive technology. But you will need fairly deep pockets to afford it.

The iconic 5 Series is now in its eighth generation and has for many years been regarded as ‘the’ executive saloon loved by business drivers the world over.

But the i5 is a fully-electrified version and BMW hopes to take on rivals such as the Polestar 2, Mercedes EQE and Tesla Model S to name just a few.

There are trim levels called M Sport, M Sport Pro and M60 xDrive so customers can opt for rear or all-wheel drive. We chose the BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro for our test drive.

The BMW i5 a very elegant looking sports-styled saloon with sleek streamlining, tinted rear windows and stunning alloy wheels, M Sport brakes and red calipers. It’s a fact that the front end of modern-day BMWs still divides opinion with that larger-than-life kidney grille. On our test car it was smooth, blacked out and highlighted with surrounding chrome trim. At each end it was flanked by sweeping light clusters and distinctive daytime running lights. 

Moving inside and you will instantly be struck by the cars wow factor. This is a cabin that oozes class with premium quality fixtures and fittings at every turn. 

Dominating the dashboard are two displays. The first is behind the wheel and stretches 12.3 inches and this is where the driver can see all the vital information such as speed, driving range, battery charge and lots more besides. This sweeps into the 14.9-inch configurable infotainment system and both screens are covered by a single curved glass pane and it all looks fabulous.

On-board tech is outstanding with the latest iDrive software for quick access to the many on-board systems, including a pitch perfect Bowers & Wilkins sound system, full navigation, smartphone connectivity, a DAB radio, climate settings and much more besides. And we really like the iDrive controller dial to navigate the screen which is far easier than pointing at icons which can be hit and miss on the move.

The quilted leather seats are beautifully upholstered and the seat belts feature narrow blue and red stripes as a not-so-subtle hint towards the car’s sporty nature with M badging on the steering wheel too.

No matter which i5 you choose they all come with an 81.2kWh battery pack, but the difference lies in the power output with the rear-wheel drive M Sport and M Sport Pro versions delivering 340hp while the top-of-the-range M60 xDrive has two motors for all-wheel drive and that produces 601hp.

Our test car boasted 400Nm of torque and that resulted in a 0-62mph sprint time of just 6.0 seconds and top speed of 120mph. But the important figure for any business car that will likely clock up the motorway miles, is the driving range between charges and our i5 could achieve a WLTP-tested 352 miles.

Those stats make for exciting handling with the BMW i5 delivering blistering pace out the starting blocks and the slightest hint of throttle pressure sees a burst in acceleration through the single-speed automatic transmission.

The balance through tight bends is confident and grip levels also impress in slippery conditions despite being just rear-wheel drive.

It’s a confident motorway cruiser eating away at the miles in pure silence and there is a Boost button that’s simply too tempting to resist. This increases the torque and counts down from 10 seconds.

The steering is perfectly weighted with plenty of driver feedback and there is all manner of drive modes to alter the handling. Select Sport and the seat’s side bolsters tighten to offer extra body support, then calm things down with Efficient and this setting has an option to maximise the range by limiting the speed to 60mph.

There is also a B mode to increase the level of regenerative braking which is really handy in busier city centres with lots of stop, start driving.

And ambient-based modes called Expressive, Relax and Digital Art alter the appearance and atmosphere within the cabin. For example, press Relax and it closes the sunroof and starts the seat massage function.

Everything about the i5 impresses from the perfectly set-up suspension system to the exhilarating handling. It does feel quite wide on narrow lanes, but so do a number of cars these days.

The BMW i5 is a full-sized executive saloon car that stretches 5,060mm in length, is 2,156mm wide (including mirrors) and 1,515mm tall making it plenty big enough inside for four adults to sit comfortably or five at a bit of a squeeze. That’s because the rear bench is quite elevated due to the positioning of the battery beneath the floor and there is a large transmission hump for the passenger relegated to the middle seat to straddle.

The front seats are powered and can be heated or cooled, plus the steering wheel is also powered and can be warmed against the winter blues. Memory settings make it easy to save your favourite position which is handy if the car is shared between drivers. 

The boot, accessed via a powered lid, has a 500-litre capacity plus space beneath the floor to store charging cables. The low lip makes it easier to load heavy or awkwardly-shaped items and the back seats can be folded forward in a 40:20:40 format if extra storage space is needed.

Further storage options include a glovebox, narrow door bins, a central cubby, front and rear cup holders and a double wireless charging pad.

From a practicality viewpoint, the i5 supports DC charging speeds of up to 205kW which would give a 10 to 80 per cent boost in just 30 minutes or a full charge in 8 hours, 25 minutes when connected to a 11kW wallbox.

So, down to the nitty gritty then. With BMW being a premium brand and EVs costing more than ICE powered cars, you would expect the i5 to come with quite a hefty price-tag. And you would be spot on as the entry-level M Sport model costs £74,105 and the all-singing, all-dancing M60 xDrive will set you back £97,745, and those prices are before options are factored in.

Our test car, the M Sport Pro cost £77,105 but the final checkout price was £94,375. This huge jump in costs was due to the number of optional extras and packs, including a panoramic sunroof (£1,600), a Bowers & Wilkins sound system (£1,250), M Carbon exterior styling (£1,750), a Technology Plus Pack (£3,300), a Comfort Plus Pack (£5,000) and a few more bits and bobs.

However, by adopting the electric route, owners do claw back some of the costs and benefit from a number of financial benefits thanks to its zero carbon emissions. For example, road tax is free and the car is exempt from Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone fees. That said; the Government recently announced that many of these incentives will be cut back from 2025.

For anyone lucky enough to secure the BMW i5 as a business car, it has a very attractive Benefit in Kind tax savings rate of just two per cent and the vehicle, as tested, sits in insurance group 43.

There’s no denying the BMW i5 is an expensive car but you have to weigh up its value and we think it’s worth every penny. Admittedly, you may want to consider all those optional extras that on our model totalled £17,270 – that’s enough for a new Dacia Sandero and you would still have some change.

But if money isn’t a key factor you might want to really up the stakes and check out the M60 model. Whatever the choice, the i5 is a wonderful all-rounder that performs as any BMW should but introduces luxury to the 5 Series that we haven’t seen before.