BMW i5 M60 review: Autonomous and superior?

With the BMW i5, BMW is bringing its well-known business sedan into the electric age. How this was implemented and why it is finally time for BMW to rely on its own electric platform, we found out for you in our test of the BMW i5 M60.

The BMW i5 M60, as it is called, is the top model of the BMW i5 line-up. In the basic version you get a rear-wheel drive with 240 kW of power, in old currency that's 340 hp. An all-wheel drive vehicle with BMW's xDrive drive is also available without an M. However, this does not have noticeably more power; the xDrive40 comes with 290 kW (394 hp). If you really want the fastest new 5 Series, you have to go for the fully electric M60. Because the diesel and petrol variants come with significantly less power.

tl;dr: A successful 5 Series, but could be expanded

You shouldn't really expect a car to be expandable about 122.000 Euro (incl. 19 Procents VAT) costs. That's how much BMW would like to have for the i5 M60 with our test car equipment. If you would like to have an individual paint job and slightly larger rims, you should be looking at a good 125.000 to 130.000 euros. That's a lot of wood, as they say. Of course, BMW offers its well-known quality both outside and inside, but it seems to us that something has been saved in the interior. If BMW had released this car 2-3 years ago, when there was no NIO ET7 or other competitors from the Far East, for example, then we might have forgiven it, because even at Mercedes the interior quality doesn't always match the price.

Nevertheless, the general impression of the interior proved to be of high quality and, above all, stable. Somehow the interior of the... BMW i4 M50 but a better impression back then. BMW might have to improve the interior quality a bit, especially the inner door handles take a lot of getting used to. Equipped with the current BMW OS 8.5, the well-known curved infotainment screen welcomes us inside the i5 M60. With the new infotainment update, there is, among other things, a completely new operating concept for the home page; previously there were various “slides” that could be freely arranged. Now we have a clean concept with widgets and a main application on the right side of the display.

The new “M-Font” has also been introduced, which highlights everything a little better and makes it easier to read. If you want a business sedan that is fully electric but still looks like a classic combustion engine, the BMW i5 is a good choice. Of course, it has grown significantly in length compared to the old 5 Series, but thanks to the rear-wheel steering, which we strongly recommend, the larger turning circle isn't a problem either Proproblem anymore. Another advantage that should be mentioned is that the i5 is also available as a touring (i.e. station wagon), which can be particularly interesting for sales people in companies who want to minimize their CO₂ footprint.

Test report as video

Design: The kidney is shrinking!

The design of the BMW i5 M60 is again based on classic BMW design. It is significantly larger than the generations of the 5 Series sedan before it. Nevertheless, the external design is more convincing than the oversized kidneys on the i4 or iX.

With the expanded features in black, the new i5 definitely looks “very evil” when you look at it from the front. The discreet but recognizable M spoiler then takes care of the rest. Optionally, which was missing from our test car, there is also a carbon exterior package, which should once again underline the sportiness. Using Iconic Glow, the edges of the kidney grille can also light up controlled by the driving lights, which looks very elegant, especially at night. We have relatively small 19-inch rims on winter wheels, but the M60 actually comes with up to 22-inch wheels. Of course, this harms the efficiency, but not the look. The red brake calipers are also available in “BMW i-Blue” if you want.

Interior: Everything the same?

The interior of the BMW i5 M60 has remained largely similar, if you look at it, for example BMW i7 looks at. The i5 is essentially a smaller version of the 7 Series, as you can find the same elements here and there. Like the “Interaction Light”, analogous to VW's ID Light, this is intended to display different colors and inform the driver about: telephone calls, battery level and much more. The seats are known to be very comfortable and sporty, but are by no means uncomfortable even on longer journeys.

We have already known the display or infotainment since the i4, it has remained the same. However, the software has been brought up to date. We now have BMW OS 8.5 on board, which is supposed to be the intermediate step in BMW's transformation to Android Automotive. Means similar features, but still a Linux-based substructure. For example, you can already see a YouTube app or an app that allows you to play infotainment games on your own smartphone. Definitely a nice game to make the loading break go by quickly. You can read how this works in the infotainment section.

Infotainment: BMW OS 8.5 the best you've ever had?

Although it is only an interim step in BMW's plan to switch to Google's Android Automotive, we still think it is a big step compared to the introduction of BMW OS 8 back then. The hardware seems to have been revised, or the software simply runs more smoothly. In contrast to the old version, there are no longer any noticeable delays. Everything is running as it should be, the charging route planning has got nice new features, such as a live display on the map of how many spaces are still available at the charging point. The entire menu has been given an overhaul to make it easier to use.

We like the new main menu better than what BMW previously offered. With the tiles it seemed a bit cluttered. The new one is simpler and simply looks better in our opinion, and it is also easier to use. What's a big plus, the climate menu is now easier to access as we have a permanently displayed home bar at the bottom of the screen. Features such as seat heating or steering wheel heating can now be activated with two clicks instead of three. As usual from BMW, the voice control is very reliable and processes its commands quickly; it can now also open and close windows. The software makes a good impression and BMW has definitely worked on its criticisms, we are very excited about the big leap to BMW OS 9.

However, a small criticism at this point, BMW's update strategy is rather questionable? Or not available? There are no clear statements about which vehicles get what. Currently it seems to be related to the delivery date. This means that vehicles with BMW OS8 remain on this OS. However, vehicles without an iDrive controller like the iX1 will probably be the first to receive the big update to OS9. We would be very happy to receive a roadmap of OTA updates.

Driving behavior: Sporty, but still luxurious

Typically BMW, it drives and is a lot of fun. Not as maneuverable as the BMW i4 M50, but still a good mix of the stable driving experience of the BMW i7 and the sporty genes of the i4. Thanks to the steering rear wheels, you are in good hands even in narrow parking garages. Without this you would rather not go there. With a vehicle length of over 5 meters, it is more of a travel limousine for the typical representative, and as a station wagon it is particularly suitable for longer business trips. The adaptive M suspension in our test car glides very stately and comfortably over the roads. All i5 models, as well as the i4, have an air suspension installed on the rear axle. Probably to enable better weight distribution, but of course it also contributes to driving comfort.

To put it briefly, in terms of driving, it really is a small BMW 7 Series. Even though it's only about 30 cm shorter in length, it still makes a difference. And quite subjectively we also find it nicer in the overall picture.

Autonomous driving with level 2+: Works surprisingly well!

This is what the BMW i5 offers if you order the large assistance package. Level 2+ is an intermediate level and a massive gain, in our eyes, in German long-distance traffic. The i5 currently only drives autonomously on German highways up to 130 km / h, and there is also eye monitoring so that you can take your hands off the steering wheel while driving. The switch between self-steering and the driver taking the wheel works very well. As soon as you take your hands away and “Drive Assist Ready” appears on the display, you know that the 5 Series steers and drives completely autonomously. We have the feature available on several long-haul routesprobeers, and yes, the system knows exactly when you cross a border. And informs the driver that level 2+ driving is no longer possible in the current country.

It would be desirable if it worked throughout the EU. But that's all we noticed negatively about the system. Anyone who has the chance to try this out for themselvesprobeer, you should definitely tackle it, driving without hands on the steering wheel at 130 km / h took a lot of effort. But after a certain time you start to trust the car like a “novice driver”. If desired, lanes on a multi-lane highway can be changed very quickly and safely by tapping the indicator lever. No hand on the steering wheel is necessary either. If the car suggests you change to the “faster lane”, a simple look in the exterior mirror is enough. But don't forget to look over your shoulder, he'll see that and then justifiably warn you. Of course, such a system also has its limits.

In heavy rain, for example, it worked reasonably well, but at some point when you can barely see the tracks even as a normal driver, you have to take action yourself. We are extremely excited to see which manufacturer will offer such functionality next. Most people only fail because they have the necessary approvals from the KBA. Among other things, Ford has already equipped its Blue Cruise system on some Mustang Mach-E's to enable Level 2+ in Germany.

Daily consumption: Acceptable for the size

One could assume that in the size class of the BMW i5, consumption is not too low. Nevertheless, everyday consumption has shown us that BMW can once again build relatively efficient electric cars. We achieved 19 kWh / 100 km in urban-rural traffic, which is good consumption for the size class of the i5. On the motorway with mostly 130 km/h where it was possible, we were at 21-23 kWh/100 km depending on the topography, we covered everything from flat to mountainousprobeer. These are quite acceptable values; in summer the consumption can probably be summed up to 21 kWh / 100 km on the motorway. This would then correspond to a real range of 390 km, with the good charging curve that you are used to from BMW, so no Proproblem on longer routes in summer.

But we must not ignore the fact that BMW has installed a “smaller” battery than others compared to the competition. With the Mercedes EQE, for example, you already get 89 kWh, which will of course have an impact on the range in addition to the different design. So if you haven't decided yet, you should definitely take a look at Mercedes or even NIO.

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