The only one of its kind
BMW i5 eDrive 40 Touring: Bavarian-E Pack basis
Estate cars with a purely electric drive are still a rarity. Until the Audi A6 e-tron arrives, there is currently only one in the premium segment: the BMW i5 Touring. "Krone" motoring editor Stephan Schätzl was on the road with the basic engine. His impressions here in the video drive report!
The 5 Series Touring generally has one big advantage over its saloon brothers: its rear end is less clumsy and more pleasing overall. Sure, that's a matter of taste. Feel free to discuss in the comments below!
The front is of course identical on both body styles, as is essentially the whole car up to the middle. So you also have to pay close attention to the BMW kidney grille on the estate, as there are significant differences. So be sure to ask when ordering. Otherwise it can spoil the proverbial joy of driving (which the car itself definitely offers). Or at least the pleasure of approaching the car from the front.
Well thought-out van
On the outside, the estate has the same dimensions as the saloon, i.e. it is 5.06 meters long and has a wheelbase of 3 meters. The tailgate opens electrically as standard. The trunk has a capacity of 570 liters. Part of this is located under the tailgate in the floor, where the charging cable and other items fit in, but where there are also recesses for the luggage compartment roller blind and partition net. If the split rear seat backrests are folded down using the remote release, a load volume of 1700 liters is available on a slightly rising floor.
The trailer coupling folds out electrically, allowing the i5 to tow up to 1.5 tons. The rear axle of the estate comes with air suspension and level control as standard.
The interior is familiar from various 5 Series and i5 reports: Curved display, play of light behind plastic trim, iDrive controller and the latest version of the operating system - with configurable and up/down scrollable control tiles next to the basic displayed navigation map. Not everything is easy to find and the system takes some getting used to. There are a few touch surfaces on the center console that simulate buttons. Real buttons would be easier to use.
Basic drive is perfectly adequate
The basic 5 Series is called the BMW i5 eDrive40 Touring. According to the registration, it weighs 2180 kg, which is 50 more than the sedan. No matter. You don't notice any difference when driving. And the power is more than enough for sporty driving: With 250 kW/340 hp, you feel confidently motorized, sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds (one tenth of a second slower than the sedan) and can check on German freeways whether the top speed really is 193 km/h. But then the test consumption of 20.9 kWh/100 km won't work. WLTP specification: 16.5 to 19.3 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers.
This means that the real summer range is just under 400 kilometers if you drive the full battery completely empty. Full means: 81.2 kilowatt hours net.
The i5 can briefly charge with up to 205 kilowatts. From 10 to 80 percent it officially takes 30 minutes, in practice it took 32 minutes. That's 280 kilometers in real terms. It's easy to plan where you can or should charge when traveling using the navigation system. The software is now fully developed and the criticism voiced here about the charging strategy has been taken to heart: Once the charge level provided by the navigation system has been reached, the charging process no longer stops, but you are notified on your cell phone.
Despite its limited range, the i5 is perfectly suitable as an (occasional) touring car, it is also very pleasant to drive and its lane guidance assistant also works solidly. Even the automatic lane change is better than that of other manufacturers. The obligatory speed limit warning system can be switched off at the touch of a button.
The prices
The base price of the BMW i5 eDrive40 Touring is just under 72,000 euros, which is 2000 euros more than the saloon. The 197 hp diesel BMW 520d Touring is 5000 euros less and the 299 hp plug-in hybrid BMW 530e Touring is 4000 euros less. All-wheel drive plus 3500 or plus 2500 euros. The six-cylinder diesel 540d xDrive (303 hp), which is comparable to the i5 eDrive40 in terms of performance, costs at least 79,000 euros.
If you want the i5 with all-wheel drive, you have to order the i5 M60 xDrive with 442 kW/601 hp. This beats all other models by far, not only in terms of drive power, but also in terms of price: 102,000 euros. Plus extras. Test car price: 95,000 euros, including extras for a good 23,000 euros, including adaptive suspension, sports brakes, Driving Assistant Professional (aka autopilot), etc.
Driving quote:
If BMW i5, then Touring. It's the nicer i5 and it's a really practical estate car. The electric drive is good, but - if you're really strict - no longer quite up to date. Many things would be easier with 800 volts. In this respect, we can look forward to the upcoming Audi A6 e-tron. At the moment, the i5 Touring is still unrivaled - if you don't want to settle for a VW ID.7.
Why?
The more beautiful i5
Practical estate car
Mature as an electric vehicle
Why not?
Real range must match the driving profile
Risk of ordering an ugly front end
Or perhaps ...
... wait for the Audi A6 e-tron, because there is currently no other electric premium estate car available. You could also consider the VW ID.7 Tourer.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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