Munich. The series production development process for
the first-ever BMW i5 is entering the home straight with the
fine-tuning of its suspension control and driver assistance systems.
Just a few weeks ahead of the car’s world premiere, it is clear the
all-electric version of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan will deliver an
outstanding driving experience – just like all the other variants.
Innovative Vertical Dynamics Management elevates the balance of
sporting potency and ride comfort for which the BMW 5 Series has
always been renowned to an even higher level. And the car’s automated
driving capability has also been taken into a new dimension with the
Highway Assistant, which controls the distance to the vehicle ahead,
carries out steering adjustments and carries out lane changes for the
first time by means of eye activation.
Over the course of more than a year, the BMW i5 has negotiated a
richly varied programme of testing – from the snow-covered and icy
surfaces of the winter test centre at Arjeplog, Sweden to regions
offering extreme heat and dry conditions, in city driving and on
country roads, on motorways and hand-picked test tracks. The
fine-tuning work for all the components involved in the driving
experience was then carried out at the BMW Group’s proving grounds
outside Miramas in southern France. This included ensuring the
integral heating and cooling circuit with heat pump function for the
drive system, the high-voltage battery and the interior of the BMW i5
can be controlled as required at all times. The predictive heat
management capability of the high-voltage battery paves the way for
rapid and efficient charging at DC fast-charging stations.
Specially tuned suspension systems maximise comfort and agility.
The flexible drive system technology offered by the new BMW 5 Series
range – which now gives customers the choice between classical
internal combustion engines, plug-in-hybrid solutions and fully
electric drive systems – leads to wide variations in vehicle weight.
With this in mind, model-specific, case-by-case chassis tuning and
corresponding application of all control systems deliver signature BMW
driving pleasure, regardless of the drive concept involved.
As the range-topping model variant, the BMW i5 M60 xDrive (electric
power consumption combined: 21.2 – 17.9 kWh/100 km; CO2
emissions: 0 g/km in the WLTP cycle [provisional figures]) is fitted
as standard with Adaptive Suspension Professional including
electronically controlled dampers. This suspension system can also be
specified as an option for the BMW i5 eDrive40 (electric power
consumption combined: 19.7 – 16.0 kWh/100 km; CO2
emissions: 0 g/km in the WLTP cycle [provisional figures]). Thanks to
an innovative form of BMW Vertical Dynamics Management, it offers a
noticeable increase in sports performance combined with a level of
ride comfort that also represents a clear step forward from that of
its predecessor.
The latest version of BMW’s Vertical Dynamics Management, now in its
ninth generation, is making its debut in the new BMW 5 Series Sedan.
This technology is based on a newly developed, extensively networked
control logic, and factors in all the available input variables – such
as wheel speeds, steering angle, yaw rate and acceleration – to
establish the ideal damping forces. The system no longer calculates
the required damping forces using mathematical models, but instead
favours physical calculation of data on the current driving condition.
This ensures clearly defined body control and precise suspension
response in every driving situation.
Adaptive Suspension Professional is offered for all variants of the
new BMW 5 Series Sedan (either as standard or optionally, depending on
the model), ensuring the customary driving pleasure of BMW. The new
generation of the business sedan therefore blends ride comfort
approaching BMW 7 Series levels with the sporting agility familiar
from the BMW 3 Series.
A new experience of automated driving: Highway Assistant and
automated lane change with eye activation.
The new BMW 5 Series Sedan also raises the bar in its segment with
its extensive array of systems for automated driving and parking.
High-resolution cameras, high-precision radar sensors and control
units from the BMW Group’s latest technology toolkit, plus a software
application refined over countless miles of testing, provide the
ingredients for an automated driving experience featuring innovative
highlights that further enhance safety and comfort.
In the USA and Canada, and now also in Germany, the Driving Assistant
Professional available as an option for the new BMW 5 Series Sedan
comprises Highway Assistant, which can be used at speeds of up to 130
km/h (85 mph). Once activated, the system takes care of distance
control and the steering inputs required for lane control, so the
driver can keep their hands in a comfortable position and focus fully
on surveying the area around the vehicle and the traffic situation at hand.
An interior camera helps monitor the driver’s level of alertness and
also enables another innovation: in a world first, the automated lane
change – included as part of the Driving Assistant Professional and
Highway Assistant – in the new BMW 5 Series Sedan can be controlled
using eye activation. This convenience feature results in a new level
of interaction between human and car. Looking in the exterior mirror
prompts the car to initiate the lane change process and carry out the
necessary steering movements and speed adjustments at speeds of up to
130 km/h (85 mph) once the driver has confirmed they want it to do so
and the traffic situation allows. The purely visual gesture
complements the previous use of the turn signal lever, which is also
available as an alternative.
Production of the new, eighth-generation BMW 5 Series Sedan will
begin in summer 2023 at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing in Bavaria. The
car’s market launch will get underway in October 2023.
BMW i5 M60 xDrive:
Electric power consumption combined: 21.2-17.9 kWh/100 km (WLTP),
preliminary data
BMW i5 eDrive40:
Electric power consumption combined: 19.7-16.0 kWh/100 km (WLTP),
preliminary data
