New BMW i5 Sport Edition brings £6,000 price cut to electric executive saloon

The all-electric BMW i5’s starting price has been slashed by £6,410 thanks to the introduction of a new entry-level Sport Edition trim, which is available on both the executive saloon and recently unveiled i5 Touring estate car.

Sport Edition models are distinguished by their 19-inch ‘Triplex-Spoke’ alloy wheels, and unique front and rear bumpers. They do miss out on the illuminated grille found on certain i5 models, but Sport Edition comes with Phytonic Blue metallic paint as standard, adaptive LED headlights, satin aluminium exterior trim and ‘Sun Protection’ glass. 

Meanwhile the interior features a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, 14.9-inch central touchscreen, two-spoke steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, heated sports front seats, a wireless smartphone charging tray and a Harmon Kardon sound system. Also included is the ‘Interaction Bar’ that stretches across the dashboard and onto the doors, and changes colour depending on the chosen drive mode. 

Driver assistance systems onboard include lane change and lane departure warning, front and rear collision warning, cruise control and an exit warning when you’re getting out of the car. In addition to a reversing camera, the i5 also boasts automated reversing capabilities for narrow environments like multi-storey car parks. 

The i5 eDrive40 powertrain is the only option for Sport Edition cars, and consists of a 81.2kWh battery that provides up to 356 miles of range on a charge in the saloon, or up to 342 miles in the i5 Touring. Both models use a single 335bhp electric motor to drive the rear wheels, and sprint from 0-62mph in six seconds exactly.

The pricier M Sport and M Sport Pro trim models use the same running gear, however, Sport Edition benefits from an upgraded AC charging speed of 22kW, which allows the i5 to be fully recharged in under four-and-a-half hours from a suitably fast public charger or home wallbox. This will be particularly appealing to company cars who have access to AC charging points capable of those speeds installed already at their office or home. 

Prices for the BMW i5 Sport Edition start from £67,695 if you go for the standard saloon, or just over £2,000 more, the BMW i5 Touring Sport Edition is priced from £69,945.

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