Electrifying.com New Car Awards 2024
Premium Electric Car of the Year - BMW i5

Premium cars are all about making you feel special through their quality, performance, technology and comfort. And our premium car of the year - the BMW i5 - has all of those in spades.

Proving that there’s plenty of life left in big saloons, the i5 slots between the excellent i4 and the gargantuan i7 and brings a brilliant fully electric addition to BMW’s legendary 5 Series range.

Even in a class that’s full of super-plush finishes and smart design, the i5 feels special with its wrap-around ambient-lit interior trim inserts, and crystal-like switches. As standard, the materials are all vegan, or you can option real leather if you prefer, and the whole package feels exceptionally classy.

There’s loads of space up front, while rear head- and legroom are class-leading and the boot offers plenty of luggage space.

In the powertrain stakes, the BMW i5 line-up is nice and simple - there’s the sensible eDrive40 with 335bhp and an official range of 357 miles, or the outrageous 593bhp all-wheel-drive M60 with its 320-mile range. Both cars will charge at up to 205kW for rapid top-ups and both are a joy to drive.

The i5’s standard air suspension does a brilliant job of ironing out patchy road surfaces, yet even the eDrive40 feels pleasantly well-balanced, fun to drive and more than rapid enough. As a blend of executive slicker and occasional country-road thriller, the BMW i5 strikes a fantastic happy medium.

Add in a classy, comfy interior, plus the latest safety and convenience technology - we’re talking self-parking and semi-autonomous lane changing - and you’ve got a car that more than deserves to be crowned our Best Premium Electric Car.

Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley said:

“Premium cars are all about making you feel special through their quality, performance, technology and comfort. Our Electrifying.com Premium Car of the Year - the BMW i5 - has all of those attributes in spades.”