5 Important 2023 BMW 5 Series Changes That Alter the Traditional Formula
Unlike Mercedes-Benz, which has a parallel lineup of EVs that mirrors its range of internal combustion engine vehicles, BMW offers both electric and ICE versions of the same models. The latest 5 Series, the G60, continues this strategy, as it too will be available as a fully electric model, the i5.
However, in turning its traditional 5 Series into an electric vehicle, BMW has had to make a few important changes to the traditional formula. These not only apply to the i5 but also to the 5 Series ICE model, which many fans of the brand may feel is quite a departure compared to older generations of the same car.
Let’s examine these big changes and how they affect this iconic premium sedan.
1. Room For EV Battery Pack Alters the Proportions
Take one look at the G60 5 Series from the side, and you will immediately notice it is taller than the car it replaces. This isn’t a visual trick that designers pulled just to make the vehicle appear more crossover-like, but a byproduct of the fact that it needs to house a battery pack in its floor for the fully electric i5 variant.
Height has increased from 58.23 inches in the previous generation, the G30, to 59.65 inches in the G60. Park one alongside the other, and you can clearly see the new vehicle is visibly taller. Its proportions and overall design are also quite different, marking a noticeable break from tradition.
In some EVs built on ICE vehicle underpinnings, passengers in the rear may find their knees pushed up while sitting in the back compared to when they sit in the ICE version of the same vehicle. BMW made the G60 taller to give occupants (especially those sitting in the back) the most comfortable sitting position possible, even with the battery under the floor.
2. It Replaces the Short-Wheelbase 7 Series
With its G70 7 Series, which as the fully electrici7 is probably the best EV limo available, BMW stopped offering its flagship sedan in two wheelbase lengths. The manufacturer just sells it as a long version, leaving room for a larger 5 Series to slot in.
The G60 5 Series has grown to 199.2 inches (5.06 meters) in length, making it slightly longer than the early 2000s E65 7 Series. So even though BMW doesn’t say this overtly, the new 5 Series is more of a 7 Series short-wheelbase replacement.
3. China-Centric Design
BMW said in 2022 that one in three of its buyers is Chinese, and it hinted at the fact that Chinese tastes and preferences have a much bigger influence on the brand’s design and strategy than ever before.
After revealing a slew of models that, to Europeans and Americans, didn’t look the best (the 7 Series, iX, and XM come to mind), it was clear that those designs were created with China in mind. The same can be said of the G60 5 Series, whose front fascia was not particularly well received when the vehicle was revealed in Europe.
It doesn’t have the oversized, look-at-me grille like the 7 Series, but it has a lot of lines and streaks that tend to make it look a bit busier than what BMW has produced in the past. Whether this will actually have a negative effect on 5 Series sales in the US and Europe remains to be seen, but many fans of the brand agree that it could have been better.
4. Minimalist Interior With Hardly Any Buttons
Another area where the all-new 5 Series is more like the 7 Series is its interior. In fact, at a glance, you’d be hard-pressed to tell them apart, as they have the same array comprised of two curved screens, the same dashboard design, the same choice of plush-feeling materials, and the same fancy looking steering wheel.
Even climbing aboard the G60, you won’t feel like it’s a step down compared to its larger brother. Sure, you will have more rear legroom in the latter, but given that the 5 Series has a longer wheelbase than the previous model, passenger space really isn’t an issue.
5. Only Available With Electrification
Electrification is a hot topic at BMW, so much so that many of its models are no longer available without some kind of lithium-ion battery that turns them into hybrids. The G60 5 Series is no exception, since you can get one as a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully electric i5.
There were mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the outgoing G30 model, but they were never the main focus of the lineup. Interestingly, the most powerful 5 Series version before the hot M5 is revealed is actually the i5, which, in M60 guise, pumps out just shy of 600 horsepower from its two electric motors.
Even the next M5 will be a plug-in hybrid, borrowing its powertrain fromthe 750-horsepower XM super SUV. This is sure to make many BMW M fans question the brand’s choices, but the automaker will go forward with this regardless in its quest to electrify its lineup.
The 5 Series Moves Further Upmarket
In turning the 5 Series into a larger, more luxurious car with a higher price point, BMW is clearly aiming the model at a new type of buyer: the person who, around the year 2010, would have bought a 7 Series short-wheelbase.
The G60 5 Series turns a new page in the Bavarian automaker’s history of building sedans, but even though it has grown for its new generation, BMW assures us that it will be the most enjoyable car to drive in its class—the kind of car that will put a smile on the keen driver’s face.
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