2024 BMW i5 previewed – and now leaked!

May 25: REVEALED! This is the new BMW i5

BMW has unveiled its new i5 electric sedan, and Australian details have also been confirmed. Get all the details at the link below.

May 19: BMW i5 previewed

A new-model leak is the only kind of leak we like to see. This time it's BMW's new i5 EV.

Teased a few weeks ago in all-over camouflage, the teaser train for BMW's long-anticipated i5 is now... all over. There's only one image for now, but it offers a clear look at what we can expect from the big new electric sedan.

Thankfully, depending on your preferences, the i5 will ditch the giant top-to-bottom grille worn by a number of recent BMWs, returning to a design that is again wider than it is tall.

The leaked image is below, and you can continue reading this story for further details on what we expect to see revealed in the coming days.

Mike Stevens via Electrek [↗]

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April 27: New BMW i5 shown in camouflage

The BMW i5 badge has been anticipated for over a decade now, but it's finally on the way.

The new electric sedan has been previewed again this week, as the car enters summer testing and the "fine-tuning" of its suspension control and driver assistance systems.

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Click the photo above to see our full 2024 BMW i5 gallery.

BMW says the flagship i5 M60 xDrive model will list efficiency numbers as low as 17.9kWh/100km on the WLTP test cycle, while the i5 eDrive40 claims a low 16.0kWh/100km – although both figures are described as provisional, likely to be confirmed with the i5's unveiling.

BMW says the i5 will begin its market launch in October, so an Australian debut will likely occur in late 2023 or very early 2024.

When it reaches Australia, the i5 will take on the Mercedes-Benz EQE and electric Genesis 'Electrified G80', along with the anticipated Audi A6 E-Tron and – if it returns to sale – the Tesla Model S.

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The new-generation 5 Series, which will share much of the i5's styling, is expected to follow. When it does, it'll have an equally new Mercedes-Benz E-Class to contend with – and it's already been revealed.

Watch for more on the i5 to come in the lead-up to its unveiling in "a few weeks".

Below: WhichCar's speculative renderings of the new i5

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March 31: BMW i5 teased in winter testing

Ahead of the 2024 BMW i5’s official release, the Bavarian brand has been out stress-testing the electric sedan in Arjeplog, Sweden.

The convoy of cars travelled roughly 3000km north from BMW’s Munich HQ to the arctic circle’s edge, where crucial development – especially for BEVs – occurs, with ESC, ABS, twin-motor AWD calibration, and materials put to the test under freezing conditions.

Crucially for an electric car, the data gathered will give BMW engineers greater information about how the driving range and fast-charging speeds are affected as the weather gets colder.

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Click to view the full winter testing gallery

The latest high-quality ‘spy’ photos (provided by BMW) also back up our renders (below), confirming the i5’s integrated door handles, body shape, and proportions.

An interesting extra piece of camouflage is bolted or riveted to the bonnet, perhaps to hide functional aerodynamic details that will differentiate the i5 from the regular, combustion-powered 5 Series.

Expect a full unveiling of the 2024 BMW i5 towards the end of the year, with Australian arrival likely next year – alongside the all-new 5 Series.

Our earlier story, below, continues unchanged.

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The story to here

BMW has formally announced electric sedan and wagon versions of its next-gen 5 Series that will debut later this year.

At the BMW Group Report meeting overnight, chairman of the board Oliver Zipse discussed the onslaught of electric vehicles we can expect from the Bavarian brand over the next decade.

Following the launch of the new 5 Series will be the electric i5, which we’ve had Theottle imagine based on spy photos (click on any picture to open a full gallery).

In addition to the i5 sedan, BMW confirmed that a Touring – Bavarian speak for station wagon – will arrive in early 2024. The i5 Touring will only have the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo and the MG 5 estate for company.

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Renderings suggest, and spy-shots confirm, that like the current i4 Gran Coupe and iX3, the i5 will use very similar sheet metal and the same cluster architecture underpinnings as new internal-combustion engine (ICE) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models.

Expect rear- and all-wheel-drive variants, likely including a flagship M60, and WLTP driving ranges from 450-600 kilometres, depending on battery size.

BMW will also introduce a fully-electric iX2 when that small, sporty SUV comes in for a similar update to the X1 small SUV.

Despite BMW executives recently vocally doubting a rapid transition to BEVs, the brand has posted huge results when it comes to electric sales. In the first two months of 2023, EV deliveries doubled compared to last year.

“Substance is convincing — and this is where our models speak for themselves. That is why we are striving for further significant growth in fully-electric vehicles this year and expect them to account for 15 per cent of our total sales,” Zipse told media.

Our original story, below, continues unchanged.

November 2022: BMW i5 spied and rendered!

Following spy shots earlier in November, we asked rendering guru Theottle to imagine what a production version of the incoming i5 sedan could look like.

As in the spy photos, the front end of BMW’s electric 5 Series strikes a very similar silhouette to the new-gen combustion car that is expected to launch next year, or in 2024.

Differentiating the Mercedes-Benz EQE rival from its combustion counterpart, BMW has blanked off the grille, minimised the front air dam and added a flush door handle design, first seen on the 2 Series coupe – likely in the name of aero efficiency.

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As the i5 will be sold alongside the next-gen combustion 5 Series, the render’s headlights are sharper and more eye-catching while – like the test mule – the two-tone alloy wheels are probably just placeholders before more aerodynamic versions appear on the production model.

Around the rear is where the new i5 departs most significantly in design language from the current G30 generation 5 Series. The boot deck is set higher, and the kamm tail crisper in its execution.

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Being the flagship sporty M60 it has a lip spoiler, while it’s likely to be AWD featuring up to – or above – 455kW of power and 1100Nm of torque (like the iX M60). There are also new LED tail lights and diffuser with the expected faux exhaust tips.

This is, of course, just an imagination of the future i5 with the real thing slated to launch next year.

Let us know what you think of the renders in the comments section below.

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The upcoming 2024 BMW i5 electric sedan has been spied ahead of its expected debut in 2023.

A battery-powered sibling to the next-generation 5 Series, two examples of the i5 were spotted at the Nürburging in Germany by spy photographers.

It's understood both vehicles are the range-topping, high-performance M60 variant, featuring a blanked-out, grille-mounted M badge and a lip spoiler.

While details on the powertrain are unclear, the larger iX M60 electric SUV has a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup producing 455kW and 1100Nm.

The BMW iX M60 lists a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.8 seconds.

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As with its larger i7 sibling, the i5 will be joined by the eighth-generation 5 Series, which is expected to offer plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid petrol/diesel powertrains.

Inside, the i5 and 5 Series will adopt BMW's latest design language, with a dual-screen setup running the brand's latest iDrive 8 operating system.

Other changes include flush door handles shared with the smaller i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe, while the minimalist gear shifter from the updated 3 Series and X7 is expected to carry across.

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While the regular 5 Series will receive an electric option, the M5 performance flagship will retain its iconic V8 engine.

However, it will feature a plug-in hybrid system paired with the BMW's latest 4.0-litre 'S68' twin-turbo V8, as found in the new XM performance SUV.

For reference, the standard XM produces 480kW and 800Nm – up 13kW/50Nm over the M5 CS – while the flagship Red Label outputs 550kW/1000Nm.

BMW will also launch a 3 Series-sized electric vehicle based on its dedicated 'Neue Klasse' platform in 2025, but it's expected the i5 and 5 Series will be underpinned by an updated version of the marque's CLAR architecture, as found beneath its current rear-drive models.

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The electric i5 will compete against the Mercedes-Benz EQE and the forthcoming Audi A6 E-Tron Sportback.

As with BMW, rival brand Mercedes-Benz is readying an all-new E-Class – also tipped to launch in 2023 – to sit alongside the EQE. The latter's performance flagship, the EQE 53, produces 505kW and 1000Nm, with a claimed 3.5-second 0-100km/h sprint time.

The 2024 BMW i5 and 2024 BMW 5 Series are expected to be unveiled next year, replacing the current model which launched in 2016 and was facelifted in 2020.