BMW has revealed its all-new eighth-generation 5-Series including the first ever i5, and if you want the deep dive on both of those cars and details of the drivetrains heading to the North American market you’ll find them by clicking the bold link further down this page.
But while the styling and tech, including an eye-activated lane change function, is broadly the same in Germany, and the electric i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 make the jump across the Atlantic almost unchanged, there are some big differences in the combustion powertrain lineups offered in Europe and the U.S.
ICE choices in North America are between the 530i with its 255 hp (258 PS) 2.0-liter mild hybrid four and the 540i, which gets a 375 hp (380 PS) 3.0-liter six, again with mild hybrid tech. But neither of those cars will appear in brochures in Europe, where the the only way to get a six-cylinder in your Five is to order a PHEV, and you’ll have to wait until spring 2024 for one of those.
The Euro lineup starts €57,550 in Germany (£49,850 in the UK) with a rear-wheel drive 520i, which is similar to the U.S. 530i, but with far fewer horses. Instead of the 530i’s 255 ponies, the 520i makes 205 hp (208 PS), and torque is down from 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) to 243 lb-ft (330 Nm), although those numbers are at least up 24 hp (24 PS) and 30 lb-ft (40 Nm) on the old 520i. While the U.S. 530i gets to 62 mph (100 kmh) in a fairly brisk 6.2 seconds, the European 520i needs 7.5 seconds to reach the same speed.
Related: 2024 BMW 5-Series Finally Revealed, $84,100 All-Electric i5 M60 Gets Top Billing
Some markets (not the UK) also offer a 520d in two- or all-wheel drive forms. Like the 520i it’s fitted with mild-hybrid assistance and makes 194 hp (197 PS), but being a diesel it’s far more torquey, matching the 295 lb-ft of the 530i. Opting for xDrive all-wheel doesn’t make your 520d any quicker: both versions need 7.3 seconds to trip past the 60 mph mark.
Any European buyers looking for more power or lower emissions to help save the planet (or to save on tax, more likely) will need to make the jump to plug-in power. Both PHEVs feature 19.4 kWh battery packs and get their electric kick from a motor located inside the eight-speed automatic transmission that offers up to 194 hp (145 kW / 197 PS) of boost, plus 184 lb-ft (280 Nm) that can be ramped up to 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) though clever use of a pre-transmission gear ratio.
The difference between the two models is that the 295 hp (299 PS) 530e mates that motor with a 2.0-liter four for a 6.4-second zero to 100 kmh time, while the 483 hp (489 PS) 550e xDrive subs the inline four for a 3.0-liter six that cuts the sprint to 4.3 seconds.
Select EV mode in either 5-Series PHEV though, and you’ll be hit with the same 87 mph (140 kmh) speed limiter, and identical batteries means there’s no difference in charge times. The AC charging rate has doubled to 7.4 kW, allowing the battery to be filled in 3.0 hours at that rate, or 9.8 hours using a household socket. But the two cars diverge again when the talk turns to range. A full battery in the 530e is rated for 54-62 WLTP miles (87-101 km), but upgrade to the 550e xDrive and you can only expect 49-56 miles (79-90 km) out of a charge.
Neither of the two PHEVs is available until around six months after the October launch for the rest of the 5-Series and i5 lineup, and they’re not the only variants BMW says it will add in 2024. A 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel is promised for European markets that want it, and BMW also mentions a third i5 model, which is likely to be a dual-motor version designed to bridge the gap between the 335 hp (230 kW / 340 PS) eDrive 40 and 592 hp (442 kW / 601 PS) M60.
The RWD eDrive40 gets to 62 mph in 6.0 seconds and has a WLTP range of 309-362 miles (497-582 km), while the all-wheel drive M60 smashes through the 62 mph finishing tape in 3.8 seconds and can do 283-321 miles (455-516 km) on a charge, so there’s definitely room for a third powertrain option. If you want to read more on the i5 EVs scroll back up to click on the link to our main story about the 2024 5-Series.
