Aims to be more spacious than a 3-Series
A new report sheds some light about the BMW i5 sedan which
will be positioned as a Tesla Model S rival.
More than a month ago we heard BMW's R&D boss Klaus
Froehlich saying the third "i" model won't be out before the end of the decade, but now Automobile
Magazine mentions the i5 is set to enter production at the Leipzig factory in
2019 where it will share the assembly line with the i3 and i8. It will be more spacious than a 3-Series by mixing up the longest
possible wheelbase with short overhangs while the trunk will be spacious enough
to carry a family's luggage as capacity won't be hampered by the electric motor since that will be positioned between
the rear wheels.
The BMW i5 will be
available as a pure electric four-door,
four-seater sedan with a rear-mounted 225 bhp (168 kW) electric motor
working together
with a 135 bhp (101 kW) electric motor mounted at the front. The plug-in
hybrid version is expected to combine a more potent 275 bhp (205 kW)
rear electric motor with a 3- or 4-cylinder
combustion engine driving the front axle.
Both configurations are going to come as standard with a
torque-vectoring AWD setup and BMW's engineers are aiming to keep the weight
below 3,450 lbs (1,564 kg) by using carbon fiber in the vehicle's construction as
they did with the i3 & i8 duo.
