BMW i5 LWB Launched At Rs 79.6 Lakh

German luxury carmaker BMW has launched the i5 LWB in India at an introductory price of Rs 79.6 lakh. The BMW i5 LWB is the brand's first locally assembled electric sedan and is built at BMW Group's plant in Chennai and sold in a single eDrive35L M Sport variant.

Bookings for the i5 LWB opened in August, and BMW also offered a limited-run First Edition at the same price, all 99 units of which have already been sold.

BMW i5 LWB: Powertrain and Performance

The BMW i5 eDrive35L is powered by a single electric motor that makes 268hp and 410Nm and drives the rear wheels. The BMW i5 LWB accelerates from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds and has a top speed of 195km/h.

The BMW i5 LWB's motor is hooked up to a 81.6kWh battery that gives the sedan a claimed range of 669km on the MIDC cycle. The i5 LWB supports up to 160kW DC fast charging, with a 10-80 percent top-up taking 33 minutes. The electric sedan is offered with up to 11kW AC charging with the bundled BMW Wallbox setup including installation.

BMW i5 LWB: Exterior Design

The BMW i5 LWB measures 5,175mm long, 2,156mm wide and 1,520mm tall and it sports a 3,105mm wheelbase. That makes the long-wheelbase sedan 115mm longer overall and 110mm longer in wheelbase than the standard i5, and identical in size to the 5 Series LWB.

Design highlights of the i5 LWB include BMW's illuminated kidney grille, adaptive LED headlights and 20-inch M alloy wheels, shod with 245/45 R20 tyres up front and 275/40 R20 units at the rear. The long-wheelbase i5 sedan also gets wraparound LED tail-lights, a welcome light and white '5' lettering on the C-pillar.

The M Sport Package adds M-specific front and rear bumpers with gloss-black inserts, an M steering wheel and two-tone leather upholstery. Adaptive rear-axle air suspension is standard on the i5 LWB, and BMW says ground clearance has been raised for Indian roads. Four exterior colours are on offer: Mineral White, Phytonic Blue, Carbon Black and Oxide Grey.

BMW i5 LWB: Interior, Features and Safety

Inside, the BMW i5 LWB gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument display along with a 14.9-inch touchscreen. Other equipment includes four-zone climate control, ventilated and electrically adjustable front seats, dashboard-spanning ambient lighting and a panoramic glass roof.

Rear passengers get separate air-conditioning controls, a centre armrest with two cupholders and wireless charging. The BMW i5 LWB also comes with a 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, BMW Digital Key Plus and USB-C ports.

Safety kit on the i5 LWB includes eight airbags, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane departure warning, front collision warning, rear cross-traffic warning and tyre pressure monitoring. A 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors and smartphone-based remote parking are also fitted.

BMW i5 LWB: Price and Rivals

At Rs 79.6 lakh, the i5 LWB undercuts the standard-wheelbase i5 M60 xDrive by a wide margin, with the ICE version of the 5 Series costing around Rs 1.2 crore as a fully imported CBU. Its closest rival is the Lexus ES 500e, priced at Rs 91.2 lakh (ex-showroom). The ES 500e uses a smaller 74.68kWh battery for claimed range of 580km and its electric motor kicks out 343hp and 438Nm.