- New BMW M5 is a high-performance plug-in hybrid
- Seventh-gen BMW M5 gets 727 hp
- Electric range of up to 43 miles and low BiK tax bracket
- Costs from £110,500
This isn’t your typical plug-in hybrid - it’s the brand new BMW M5 Saloon, arriving with power of 727 hp and almost sensible levels of fuel economy.
Yep, the seventh generation M5 is being electrified for the very first time.
The powertrain marries a raucous 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine with a 18.6 kWh battery and electric motor to produce a combined 727 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque.
That’s a good chunk more power than the outgoing BMW M5 Competition, which got 625 hp.
The grunt is put down on the Tarmac via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and M xDrive all-wheel drive and the M5 Saloon will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds.
To put that figure into perspective, it’s a shade slower than the Audi RS 7 but quicker than the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.
The M5’s top speed is limited to 155 mph as standard but the limiter can be raised to 189 mph if you tick the optional ‘M Driver’s Package’ box.
The M5 will return up to 27.7 miles to the gallon - not bad at all for the sportiest of saloons - while you can also expect a range of up to 43 miles using electricity alone, which gives it an 8% Benefit in Kind (BiK) tax rate for company car drivers.
Besides the new engine, the latest BMW M5 also looks quite different to the old version.
There are more prominent wheel arches and side skirt extensions, the front apron looks more aggressive, and BMW has gone out of its way to make the M5 stand apart from the regular 5 Series Saloon. The four-pipe sports exhaust system with black chrome trims certainly catch the eye.
While the M5 is all-wheel drive you can select 2WD mode, which sends power to the rear wheels alone and lets drivers experience more ‘pure-bred’ BMW performance.
Adaptive M Suspension with electronically controlled dampers and Integral Active Steering are all fitted as standard, helping to ‘optimise the vehicle's connection to the road’, says BMW. You get 20-inch light-alloy wheels at the front, 21-inches at the rear.
The cabin features Merino leather upholstery, BMW’s lovely twin screen Curved Display, heated front seats, ambient lighting and a Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System.
And, just like any four-door family saloon, the BMW M5 is also fitted with a wealth of driver assistance and safety systems, including front collision warning, lane return steering assistance, active cruise control and traffic light detection.
The seventh-gen BMW M5 is priced from £110,500 to purchase outright.
UK customer deliveries begin November 2024 - where we’ll also get to see the all-new BMW M5 Touring estate. We can’t wait.
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