BMW has taken the wraps off the all-new, eight-generation 5 Series which is set to arrive in Australia later in the year with both entry-level 520i petrol and two battery-electric i5 variants to be on offer.
On the styling front, BMW has taken a more angular approach when designing its eighth-gen 5 Series, with the traditional kidney grille, headlight surrounds and front air intakes significantly sharpened up.
The platform has grown overall, measuring 97mm longer than its predecessor, along with 32mm and 20mm extensions, respectively, for the width and wheelbase. All up, the 2024 5 Series measures in at 5060mm long, 1900 wide, 1515mm high and has a wheelbase spanning 2995mm which gives it a wider track and a claimed 50:50 front-rear axle load distribution.
The company says that three variants will be arriving in Australia later this year, with the 520i remaining the entry-point into the range, headlined by the battery-electric i5 eDrive40 and range-topping i5 M60 xDrive.
The 520i comes powered by a mild-hybrid 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder pushing out 153kW and 330Nm to the rear wheels via a new eight-speed sports automatic, with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint in 7.5 seconds.
The 520i receives BMW’s M Sport package as standard which adds M Sport suspension and brakes, 19-inch alloy wheels, a series of carbon fibre upgrades inside and the option of either Alcantara or vegan upholstery.
There’s also a panoramic sunroof, automatic tailgate, adaptive LED headlights, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 14.9-inch central display with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system as standard.
Stepping up to the battery-electric i5 eDrive40 brings power and torque figures to 250kW/430Nm from its rear-mounted e-motor, seeing the 0-100km/h sprint come up in 6.0 seconds, with BMW claiming WLTP range figures of 582km from the 84kWh battery pack.
The flagship i5 M60 xDrive picks up an additional electric motor over the front axle that brings combined outputs up to 442kW/820Nm. This sees the 0-100km/h time drop to just 3.8 seconds, while the range also drops to 516km.
Standard equipment for the entry-level i5 includes a set of 20-inch alloys, adaptive suspension, Merino leather upholstery, 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system and a five-year subscription to the Chargefox network.
Stepping up to the range-topping i5 eDrive M60 xDrive adds 21-inch M Sport alloys and an upgraded adaptive suspension system with active anti-roll support, four-zone climate control, an M sport spoiler and crystal glass iDrive controller made by Swarovski.
BMW says it will confirm pricing for the eighth-generation 5 Series closer to its arrival here in Australia later in the year. The next-gen M5 performance model is still under development.
