It was said that the grand tourer was doomed by the hegemonic eruption of electric traction. Housing batteries in number and size naturally benefits SUVs and minivans at the expense of sedans, whose low profile does not lend itself to the exercise. This is a mistake because German manufacturers in particular, reluctant to abandon a sector where they excel, defend tooth and nail the sedan silhouette, ensuring that it is "electro-compatible".
But, if we are not careful by relying only on appearances, the call to order will come at the first parking lot. In our old European cities, they were designed around other criteria, those of cars yesterday still much more compact.
The new BMW X5 is the perfect illustration of this, to the point of making a confirmed shift to the next level. All the more comical as this electric magnification is caused by the very people who vilify big cars, the ecologists. This inevitable upward suction phenomenon is assumed by BMW, which has increased the 7 Series, now clocking in at 5.39 m long.
At 5.06 m now, the new Series 5, which will arrive on our roads in the fall, increases by 97 mm and takes, to within 20 mm, the place of the former Series 7. The talent of the designers consists in hide that, and it's perfectly executed here with a car that's both 32mm wider but also 36mm taller, standing at 1.51m. It still looks slender, due to its unusual length. This perpetual motion is accompanied by the magnification of Series 3 and 4, whose average size has increased by…. 43 cm in half a century.
All this to say that the standard of the new 5 Series is further enhanced, without indulging in the excesses of style seen on other ranges. The famous grille beans retain a reasonable size, but the bodywork is deftly shaped from all angles, catching the light happily if a little demonstratively.
The rear is quite surprising with black lower skids at the corners of the body and tapered lights. The plunging body line and body creases on the sides energize this profile which should hit the mark with BMW's number 1 clientele.
On the technical side, two versions of the 4-cylinder engine, 208 horsepower in gasoline and 197 horsepower in diesel, will be a starting point with the help of a 48-volt micro-hybridization and an 8-speed automatic transmission. Next year, two plug-in hybrid versions and a 6-cylinder diesel will be added. This repeated choice of diesel is in line with the needs of large rollers, which are frequent at this level of the range.
But, BMW is no exception, the electric, which has some strategic favors at the moment, is on the program under the i5 label. Two versions are already ready, offering either 340 horsepower borrowed from the X4 or 600 horsepower for the i5 M60 xDrive. The active chassis and four-wheel steering on this top of the range will be up to 820 Nm of torque to support accelerations from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.8 s.
Originality of these electrics, the battery of 81.2 kWh of useful capacity will accept a charging power of up to 205 kW, enough to reduce stops and play on the autonomy announced respectively at 588 and 516 km. An alternating current charging option up to 22 kW will be offered, while a special program will limit on-board consumption and reduce power to obtain, in the event of difficulty, a range increased by 25% . The prices are already set, with an entry price of 62,800 euros for the 520i, 76,200 euros for the i5 eDrive40 and 107,500 euros for the i5 M60.
