The eighth-generation BMW 5 Series is a handful of months away from making its official debut, and the company has confirmed that the halo model will be an all-electric variant named the i5, similar to the new X1 and 7 Series.
Additionally, the i5 will be offered in the conventional Sedan as well as a Touring body style, and a “fully-electric performance model” from the M department will also join the family at a later date.
The 5 Series Sedan is scheduled for a worldwide launch in October 2023, with the Touring to follow in “spring 2024,” said the manufacturer.
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For the first time, the new 5 Series will be on showroom floors with all-electric, plug-in hybrid, and petrol and diesel drivetrains.
While BMW has not yet revealed the specifications of these foundations or the market-specific introduction plans, it did confirm that all the fossil-fuel engines are enhanced by 48V mild-hybrid systems.
The new 5 Series range will then be one of the first BMW vehicles to debut the recently-launched Operating System (OS) 8.5 with “innovative digital services.”
The OS has been improved over the eighth iteration through a new graphical interface and optimized menu structure, as well as improved natural language operation that incentivises using voice commands.
It now functions on a “zero-layer principle” that puts all the most relevant functions and information such as entertainment programmes, contact lists, and vehicle settings “on a single level, making it possible to select a desired function without having to enter a submenu first,” said the manufacturer.
This is done by means of live widgets that are vertically aligned on the driver’s side of the central touchscreen for simple selection and navigation.
As always, OS 8.5 is going to be accompanied by the BMW Live Cockpit package comprising a digital instrument cluster and large infotainment display under one curved glass housing on the dash.
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