The i5 isn’t a new name to India. In 2024, BMW did give us a flavour of what it could do with an EV sedan, courtesy of the i5 M60, which was less car, more rocket. The i5 you see here isn’t the same or anywhere close. This i5 eDrive 35L is a made-in-India long-wheelbase sedan that attempts to package luxury, electric economy and hard-to-ignore pricing to settle its age-old rivalry with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
In doing so, the i5, in fact, threatens its own kin. You can have one for ₹79.60 lakh, which makes it exactly ₹3 lakh more expensive than the petrol-engined 530Li M Sport, priced at ₹76.60 lakh. The most affordable E-Class, the E 200 LWB, is priced at ₹81.50 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom). What this will translate to across dealerships is tough to predict — we are in an SUV-dominated market, after all — but what this context-setting exercise indicates is BMW’s intent. Cars across classes, however, are sought after for more than mere objectivity. Does the i5 do anything to stir your soul?
It does, but in a very different way to what you’d usually expect from a BMW. The i5 is no purist’s dream; BMW would rather you looked elsewhere in its range for driving thrills. The electrified 5 Series has been relieved of that responsibility for its own good. It’s a tough one to swallow and yet perfectly rational.