Different wheelbases for new BMW 5 Series and i5 EV in India
We have already reported to you that BMW is readying the eight-generation 5 Series for launch during the festive season in India this year. Now, we have new details about the wheelbase and powertrains that’ll be on offer – the new 5 Series will be available in both ICE and electric versions in India, and both will be offered with a different wheelbase.
- BMW 5 series petrol, diesel will come as long wheelbase
- BMW i5 EV will come as short wheelbase
- Petrol variant will be offered in 530Li spec
BMW i5 EV to come in standard wheelbase
The 5 Series LWB – currently only available in China in both ICE and electric versions in left-hand drive (LHD) guise – measures 5,175mm in length, 1,900mm in width, and 1,520mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 3,105mm. This makes it 145mm longer overall than the regular 5 Series, and the wheelbase is longer by 110mm.
As BMW does not have a right-hand drive (RHD) version of the i5 LWB globally, the model that’s coming to India will be imported in its standard wheelbase guise. Converting LHD to RHD is, of course, not a simple process, and even requires re-certification, effectively making it a new car. Being an EV, BMW is likely to sell fewer units of the i5 than the petrol or diesel variants, which means local assembly for a converted RHD model would not make sense.
New 5 Series petrol, diesel to come as LWB
For the ICE variants of the 5 Series, however, BMW will be locally assembling the LWB RHD version in India. That’s because, firstly, it will have more volumes than the i5, and secondly, BMW will be keen to price it competitively against the locally-assembled Mercedes-Benz E-Class that’s also offered in long-wheelbase guise, and for long has been undisputed segment leader. Long-wheelbase sedans have found favour with Indian luxury car buyers as most are chauffeur-driven, and appreciate the added legroom that only a stretched wheelbase can provide.
This will, therefore, be the first instance that BMW will be offering an LWB version of the 5 Series outside of China. The carmaker has applied a similar formula with the 3-Series Gran Limousine in India before, and it surely has paid off – the 3 Series was the brand’s best-selling
