First drive: BMW’s legendary 5 Series goes electric with the i5 M60

If I were to devise a game of bingo based on the launch events for European car companies in New Zealand (exceptionally niche, this game of bingo), phrases referencing how Kiwi customers buy more big-ticket performance flagship models than any other market in the world would be at the top of the list of prompts.

It’s true. Local customers who dabble in cars sold by the four rings, the propeller roundel, and the three-pointed star often wind up buying tyre-frying RS, M, and AMG variants at a disproportionate rate. But, something else appears to be happening, too. BMW in particular has begun reporting that its local plug-in sales figures are also exemplary – well above average compared to other western markets.

Whilst some might look at this as a totally foreign phenomena compared to the demand for growling M V8s and the like, BMW’s local arm has gone a different way with the all-new 5 Series ‘G60’, believing that a combination of M Performance and electrification is a guaranteed marketplace winner.

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Launched in New Zealand late last month, it is set to solely be offered here in fully electric i5 M60 xDrive form; marking this eighth-generation 5 Series as the most radical switch-up in the nameplate’s 51-year history since the Bangle-era, tech-laden ‘E60’. None of the entry-level petrol variants that Australia gets make it here, and nor does a non-M i5. The to-be-unveiled gas-fed M5 could be a goer in the future, but BMW New Zealand wouldn’t confirm it.

BMW’s recent streak of out-the-gate styling and enormous internet-breaking grilles has – thankfully – skipped over the i5. In standard 5 Series fashion, this is a mature, restrained looker. The drawback of this is that from some angles, it definitely looks more ‘M Performance’ than full-fat ‘M’. Although in its defence, that’s exactly what the M60 is.

It may not be a fully fledged M car, it’s clear that BMW benchmarked the i5 M60 against the outgoing ICE M5 Pure on numerous metrics. At $196,900 it’s cheaper, but only by a mere 300 bucks. It’s more powerful, but only by a single kilowatt. Dual motors front and rear produce a combined 442kW/820Nm, with all-wheel drive and Pirelli P-Zero rubber assuring a 0–100kph time of 3.8 seconds – five tenths adrift of the old M5 Competition and a mere tenth quicker than the i4 M50.

Range? Well, BMW says you’ll get up to 516km out of the fifth-gen prismatic cell 84kWh battery unit. It’s a solid figure for a vehicle of this size and performance, and a credit to sculpted the 5’s slippery shape. An almost entirely flat platform, an active grille, air curtains in the front bumper, and wheels designed to mitigate turbulence equate to a drag coefficient of 0.23cD, placing it amongst the leaders in its class. That said, an EQE AMG will take you 74km further – one-upping the i5 on both battery size and the nerdy drag stuff.

Anyone who’s sat inside an iX or i7 will be very familiar with the i5’s interior layout. Dual curved screens (12.9-inch digital cluster, 14.9-inch touchscreen), Bowers & Wilkins audio, 40 driver assistance systems, on-board video games, and BMW’s ‘Professional Package’ remote self-parking tech that can now be controlled via your phone are amongst the highlights.

It’s not quite a ‘cut and shut’ copy of either the iX or i7, mind you. There’s a few M bit present, for example, like the flat-bottomed and M-themed steering wheel, it doesn’t get the i7’s incredible ambient lighting, and the touchscreen binnacle is more tilted towards the driver, underlining the i5’s more sporty demeanour.

What’s it like to drive?

Our first taste of the i5 took place in Queenstown, via a 240-odd kilometre drive that took us from Arrowtown to Cromwell and back, looping in the Crown Range and plenty of those memorable vistas that only Queenstown can provide. Traffic often spoiled some of the more challenging bits of road, but it’s hard to be mad when the views out the window are this good.

The road did open up from time to time, though, giving the M60 the chance to show its mettle on some of the best roads in the country. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the i5 M60 passed the grip’n’go test with flying colours.

Performance off the line, low-speed rotation, cornering stability at higher speeds – the i5 executes all of it with remarkable ease, aided by BMW’s adaptive M suspension and active anti-roll bars. Even on these excellent roads, it felt like we barely scratched the surface of the M60’s performance potential.

So yes, it’s quick. Is it engaging? Well, compared to a snarling petrol-fed M5 with a thumping V8, no. A large percentage of its pace is made possible by technology. The variable four-wheel steering isn’t especially communicative. But, there are some good nuggets of charm in there.

For example, like the old M5, it feels joyously rear-biased in its power delivery despite the all-paw xDrive tagline. And, the i5 might also have the best augmented engine noise of any hotted up EV I’ve driven.

I acknowledge that the very phrase ‘augmented engine noise’ will send some enthusiasts into palpitations (or conversely, fits of laughter), but the way the M60’s Hans Zimmer soundtrack emulates rev progression does add genuine drama and spectacle to the mix when you’re having a dip.

On the more relaxed portions of our Queenstown drive, we found the i5’s ride and comfort chops to be excellent. Whilst we did occasionally miss the V8 of the M60’s arguable spiritual predecessor, the M550i, having a totally silent electric powertrain makes more sense for cruising in these large executive sedans.

Why would I buy it?

Being electric and being an M Performance model, the i5 M60 doesn’t necessarily have to deliver the big M-car thrills. Opting to strike a more approachable balance opens up the M60 to a larger audience. Throw in just how quick it can be when you do decide to slot it into Sport mode, and it’s hard to think of any other performance cars that are as versatile as this one.

Why wouldn’t I buy it?

Priced at $196,900 before options (the M Sport Plus package, optioned on all the cars pictured, is a $4,000 extra), the i5 M60 is almost sixty grand more than the i4 M50. That’s a hefty premium for larger dimensions and the next-gen interior design, but not much extra pace.

Bonus images