Ahead of its scheduled global debut sometime this year, BMW has now given us a teaser of the upcoming fully-electric i5, as it completes its year-long pre-production testing in various driving conditions and (extreme) climates.
The teaser photos gives us our first proper look at the next-generation 5 Series (and its fully-electric counterpart), and even though the car is heavily camouflaged, we can still see quite a few details from the extensive photo library the company provided.
One thing that we noted from looking through these photos, is that there are at least two models in different states of completeness in the tests. This is obvious from looking at their exterior lighting fixtures, as some of them had “near-production” LED illumination, while others have what looks like placeholder bulbs, which are only there for legal purposes.
Otherwise, the car looks… well, just like what you’d expect from a BMW 5 Series. From profile, its silhouette looks fairly similar to the current G30-generation model, thanks to its long bonnet, short overhangs, and a sloping almost-fastback-like roofline.
BMW says the purpose of the test – which took place across the European alps from Bavaria to the Swedish Lapland, spanning over 3,000 km – was to verify the stability and endurance of the i5’s electric powertrain, as well as the “dynamic performance qualities” of the next-gen 5-er especially on “surfaces offering little grip”.
In all, the upcoming BMW 5 Series and i5 have already endured over one year of intense extreme-weather testing, and is now in the final “fine-tuning” stage, specifically for its powertrain and chassis control systems.
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The BMW i5 will be powered by the marque’s fifth-generation eDrive technology, although supposedly “further upgraded” specifically for this upcoming model. It’ll feature “cutting-edge battery cell technology” supported by an advanced thermal management system that integrates the heating and cooling system between the cabin and battery pack, as well as a new DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system that interlinks the near-actuator wheel slip limitation function and the drive torque control system.
With the upcoming BMW i5 now already performing insane drifts and slides in the snow, we’re sure it’ll also be a hoot to drive too when it reaches our milder (but very much warmer) Malaysian climates. We can’t wait already!
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