The new BMW i5 has hit the roads. Can the BMW i5 tow? Maximum i5 towing capacity. Need a BMW i5 towbar?

The new BMW i5 has hit the roads. Can the BMW i5 tow? Maximum i5 towing capacity.  Need a BMW i5 towbar?

BMW has managed to retain what made the old 5 Series so great, but in EV form.  Now in its 8th generation 5 Series, the new BMW i5 has hit the roads, planning to tow with the new BMW i5 EV?  

BMW has made the i5 longer, wider and taller than the old 5 Series - it's 5060mm long, which is 97mm longer than its G30 5 Series predecessor and with an extra 20mm between the front and rear wheels, and you feel the extra space stepping inside.  Unlike other BMWs, the new 5 Series goes without the enlarged kidney grille design - probably a good conservative approach not to scare off potential buyers.

As soon as you step inside the cabin, the quality is obvious. It’s spacious too, with plenty of room up front for tall drivers. The battery doesn't intrude on cabin space, but trunk space is slightly less generous here than in the 5-series. Leather upholstery is still available, but BMW is launching a new faux-leather upholstery called Veganza in the i5; a set of glass interior controls is also available and adds a classy touch to the sedan's cabin. Heated and ventilated front seats with massage are optional on the eDrive40 and standard on the M60 xDrive.

The i5's dash is dominated by a large, curved panel that incorporates a 12.3-inch digital gauge display as well as a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. BMW's latest iDrive 8.5 interface is easy to use and can be updated via over-the-air updates.  All models come with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, in-dash navigation, a wireless smartphone charging pad, a Harman/Kardon stereo system, and an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot.

Apart from the iDrive dial, there’s a distinct lack of physical controls in the i5. Even the air vents are opened and closed using touch-sensitive sliders - technology overload?

The i5’s boot is not huge, with a capacity of 490 litres. Need to carry more or take your bikes along with your new i5, why not fit one of our BMW i5 towbars?  Towing with the i5 is easy and BMW allows for a maximum of 2000kgs. 

You get two a choice of two electric powertrains, both of which are powered by the same 81.2kWh battery pack. The entry-level eDrive40 has a single electric motor on the rear axle that churns out 335bhp and 295 lb-ft of torque – enough, says BMW, for a 0–100km/h time of six seconds flat.
The i5 M60 is like the pure-electric equivalent to the old BMW M5. It gains an extra 257bhp electric motor on the front axle, bringing four-wheel drive and boosting output to 593bhp and 605 lb-ft.  The M60 is quick from a standing start, 0–100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

The claimed range is 582km (616km for the M60).
Charge times vary depending on the speed of the charger you use. At a 7.4kW AC wall box charger, it’ll take around 13 hours to completely recharge the car. Connect the i5 to an 11kW AC feed and you can trim that time down to eight hours and 15 minutes. Find a DC rapid charger that’s capable of 205kW and you’ll be able to be on the road again in no time - from 10–80% capacity in just 30 minutes.

You can set the i5’s regenerative braking system to an automatic mode, or you can choose high, medium or low settings – the high mode being strong enough to bring the car to a stop. In auto mode, the i5 uses data from the sat-nav and onboard sensors to judge when to increase the effect.
There is a new BMW automated lane-change function that can steer you into the next lane automatically. You simply turn your head in the desired direction until you're looking towards the door mirror, and the car will indicate before manoeuvring.

The automated steering inputs are very smooth and the system will only work once it has checked there is space in traffic.

The i5 offers the expected driver-assistance features as standard, including automated emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring, but more advanced features—including BMW's Highway Assistant hands-free driving mode—are optional.
Key safety features include:
Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
Available adaptive cruise control with hands-free driving mode

Increase the practicality of your i5 by fitting our BMW Invisible towbar.  Order today.