Everyone is aware that China has a large enough market to warrant its own variations of current models. Just like China’s long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz E-Class, they now get a more spacious BMW 5 Series.
For the first time, the BMW 5 Series Sedan will be available in China with both combustion engines and an all-electric variant, the BMW i5. BMW has been teasing an electric 5 series for more than six years, and last month the BMW i5’s official manufacturing started.
With 530,000 BMW 5 Series cars supplied to Chinese consumers from 2020 to 2023 alone, the model is becoming even more popular in China. As a result, the premium upper mid-range car segment’s market leader is the BMW 5 Series Sedan. Since local manufacture in China began, somewhere between two and three million units have been sold worldwide.
The new BMW 5 Series Sedan and the new BMW i5 for China were created with a focused emphasis on the demands of Chinese target groups from the very beginning. Its exterior design mixes recognisable brand characteristics with modern components to ensure that it is targeted at the fashion preferences of a new generation of Chinese consumers.
It includes a contemporary take on BMW’s iconic twin headlights and a radiator grille with contour lighting that stretches well ahead. Surfaces that are well-defined and elaborately constructed dominate the side perspective. A roofline that softly slopes to the back and an enlarged wheelbase in comparison to other variations of the new business sedan that is readily accessible globally. A chrome strip separates the narrow LED lights at the back of the new models.
A five-stage welcome and goodbye scenario is created by the interior lighting, the LED headlights, the contour lighting of the BMW radiator grille, and the light carpet in the entry area. The number “5” is lighted as standard in the area of the Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar, which is a unique feature of cars made specifically for the Chinese market. While the high-voltage battery is being charged, there is a blue light on the BMW i5 that pulses subtly and at a low frequency.
The interior also features the BMW Curved Display, the redesigned steering wheel, the BMW Interaction Bar and the further developed BMW iDrive with “QuickSelect”. It also has crafted clarity glass applications for selected controls and a Titanium Bronze inlay for the passenger side instrument panel.
As mentioned, the China-specific 5 series has a longer wheelbase which translates to more legroom at the rear. The BMW Theatre Screen is another element taken directly from the BMW 7 Series. With a 31.3-inch panoramic display, 8K resolution, and 5G connection, it allows for high-quality movie streaming. The BMW Theatre Screen turns the back of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan and the new BMW i5 into a moving private theatre when paired with the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System.
Other further highlights are the four-zone automatic climate control, a model emblem engraved into the headrests, and seat surfaces with unique quilting and a bicolour pattern.
Closer to home, BMW has just unveiled the new M2 and the first all-electric BMW iX M60.
