There’s no single standout feature that headlines the 2024 BMW i5. Rather, it’s this sedan’s overall breadth of competency that should really get you stoked. You can putz through town, hustle down winding roads, or cover great distances on the highway – and that last one doesn’t even involve touching the steering wheel. All told, this fully electric 5 Series ought to be a fitting delineation of BMW’s long-serving midsize sedan.
Ahead of the 2024 5 Series’ premiere in late May (and a fall 2023 on-sale date), BMW rolled out a few prototypes of the i5 EV for me to sample in and around its huge testing facility in Miramas, France. The bad news? I can’t tell you anything about the full range of internal combustion and plug-in hybrid powertrain options, nor can I confirm a lot of the specs about the electric i5. The good news? I can safely say the 5 Series won’t be a mega uggo like the 7 Series. Even through the prototype’s heavy camouflage, conventional headlights and a reasonably sized grille are obvious. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but… that i7… yeesh.
