TECHNOLOGY has evolved so much now that it is impossible to imagine life without some of the things that we take for granted.
Take your phone for example, if you are reading this then you are probably born somewhere in the 90s or probably early 00s (because the younger generation supposedly don’t read much anymore).
Take a moment to remember a time when the camera on your phone was pixelated and you played “snake” just to entertain yourself.
It seems so long ago, doesn’t it? For context, that was nearly 30 years ago.
Cars too have evolved so much now that some people only use four things in a car despite all the technology it has to offer – the accelerator and brake pedal, gear shifter and steering wheel. And occasionally, the side view mirrors.
A lot of people do not know how to use their modern cars to their fullest extent, and that is why you sometimes see people driving the latest cars but will still be chatting with their phones held to their ears, despite the existence of Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Those are the basic features that almost all modern cars have, so it is still a little baffling that some people don’t know how to use them. Or perhaps some are just anti-tech (we like to call them – technomorons), which is a bit of a pity.
However, some cars are so full of technology that they are just too complicated, making it impossible to drive without getting distracted.
Take the BMW i5 for example. This is the eDrive40 M Sport variant and is currently the only i5 variant available for Malaysians. It is based on the latest G60 model and is the biggest 5-Series model ever produced.
In fact, at 5m long, it is similar in proportion to previous generation 7-Series models. And just like the current generation 7-Series, the G60 model also comes with that humongous front grille that, to these eyes at least, seems to be better proportioned than the hideous ones on the 7-Series.
And yes, the grille also has BMW’s Iconic Glow that lights up at night to outline the outer part of the grille. And yes, it does look much better than the one on the 7-Series, which to some reviewers looks curiously like the nostrils of Peppa Pig’s father.
For now, the G60 model is only available as an EV, with ICE and PHEV models supposedly slated to make their Malaysian debut later this year.
Anyway, on the topic of sophistication, there are a couple of things that make us question the direction that BMW has taken. For example, it has an icon on the curved 14.9-inch infotainment that when pressed, plays a short celebratory video.
When we drove the car, it had a video celebrating Chinese New Year. Great! If you are 12-years old.
Then there are the air-conditioning vents. If you take a closer look at the photo of the dashboard, you will notice that you won’t see any vents. That is because those vents have been embedded into the dash and out of sight, and you adjust them by rotating tiny knobs that have also been placed out of sight, so it takes some getting used to.
And the first couple of times that you use it, you need to take your eyes off the road to locate those knobs. We are not safety experts, but taking your eyes off the road for anything is not very safe.
But that is about it as far as complications go, the rest is pure technology that just about anyone can appreciate.
The design of the car for one is, simply put, really nice. It may have a formidable presence on the road with its size, but there is not a bad angle to that car.
In fact, we would go so far as to say that those 21-inch wheels from BMW’s Individual selection (optional accessories) are some of the nicest wheels in the Malaysian market.
The wheels are standard for this i5 eDrive 40M Sport but have unfortunately been replaced with 20-inch wheels in a recent update to the car.
We are yet to see it in person, but smaller wheels are usually easier to maintain and are less prone to damage by potholes.
The interior is mega spacious as well. In fact you could fool a blindfolded person into believing he was seated in a 7-Series just by the spaciousness of the interior alone.
The steering wheel feels chunky in your hands and a foot of it lays a 12.3-inch instrument panel that gives you all the important data.
BMW is big on entertainment and the interaction between man and machine, so the software that lets you control all of the essentials is one of the friendliest in the industry.
And music is played through an 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system, which is just heaven to the ears.
On to the greasy bits. Underneath the car lays an 83.9kWh battery that is tucked away in the floor pan. It powers a single, rear-mounted motor that sends 313PS and 400Nm of torque to the rear wheels. However, when Sport mode is engaged, power is bumped up to 340PS and 430Nm.
The charge to 100kph is seen off in just six seconds flat while top speed is rated at 193kph.
If you are thinking that those power and performance figures don’t sound very impressive for a BMW, you would be right – the reason being that the eDrive40 is an entry level variant and BMW has a performance variant of the i5 called the M60 xDrive.
That is a proper BMW M car in every sense of the word and comes with 601hp and up to 820Nm of torque – which is not available in Malaysia just yet.
Charging the eDrive40 from empty to 100% takes a little over eight hours with an AC charger. The car is capable of taking up to 205kW of DC charging, and if you ever find one of those rare high-performance chargers, it should take you just 34 minutes to juice up from 10-80%.
Depending on your drive style, a full charge will be able to take you up to 582km based on the WLTP cycle. And the great thing about the i5 is that it comes with a Max Range function, which when enabled, increases range by 25%.
This is done by electronically limiting power and speed to just 90kph while some comfort features are deactivated.
Driving this BMW is an occasion. Because it comes with adaptive suspension, you feel like you are floating on the road while ambient sounds are barely audible.
Managing the bulk of the car is also easy because the car comes with a four-wheel steering system. This turns the front and rear wheels in opposite directions at low speeds and in the same direction at high speeds.
This makes the humongous car easier to park in tight spots and gives it an agile feel when thrown in and out of corners. Matching that is the suspension system that gets stiffer in Sport mode, giving the car unbelievable agility.
Big heavy cars are not supposed to handle so well, they are better off like a luxury cruiser that cocoons their occupants in opulence and shield them from the horrors of the outside world. But the i5 eDrive40 M sport is much more than that, and we love that it is perfectly adapted for everything that your life may demand.
Having a bad day? Engage Sport mode and let the car carve a smile on your face. Need to think? Summon Comfort and turn off the audio system and bask in the silence as your sort stuff out in your mind.
But there is a catch. Just a few months after its launch, BMW Malaysia has already updated the i5 eDrive 40, but not in a good way.
Well, there is one good thing and that is AC charging has been bumped up from 11kW to 22kW, and that has halved charging time from the aforementioned eight hours plus to just four hours and
15 minutes.
The bad news? BMW Malaysia has removed the 21-inch wheels we mentioned earlier to 20-inches (not a bad thing but those 21’s look so good).
They have also removed the panoramic glass roof, ventilated seats and the gorgeous crystal controls that sadly includes the iDrive rotating dial. Oh and they have also increased the price, but just RM300.
Speaking of price, the i5 eDrive40 M Sport retails at RM399,800 on-the-road without insurance. But BMW will only give you a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty with that.
Want more peace of mind? That will cost you an additional RM20,300. The five-year warranty with six-year maintenance package will bump up the final figure to RM420,100, very much like how a low-cost airlines will make you pay for additional items. The seat is cheap, but the additional items... that will cost you extra.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 340hp
Torque: 430Nm
Acceleration (0-100kph): Six seconds
Top speed: 193kph
AC Charging (0-100%): 4 hours 15 minutes (22kW)
DC Charging (10-80%): 34 minutes (203kW)
Range (WLTP): 582km
We like: Refinement, design, tech.
We don’t like: BMW should have more fate in its cars and not make buyers pay for additional warranties or features.
