BMW i5 LWB Launched In India At Rs 79.60 Lakh: Range, Specs, Features Explained

BMW has pulled the wraps off the i5 Long Wheelbase in India. It is the brand's first electric sedan to roll off an Indian assembly line. The car goes on sale at an introductory price of Rs 79.60 lakh (ex-showroom), and interestingly, that number applies whether you pick the standard eDrive35L M Sport or the limited First Edition. Bookings are already open at BMW dealerships and on the brand's official website, with deliveries starting right away out of the Chennai plant.

Moreover, all 99 units of that First Edition were snapped up before the car even had its official launch date. That's a fairly strong signal about how BMW India is reading demand at the top end of the EV market right now.

BMW i5 LWB: Design

The LWB tag isn't just a marketing gimmick BMW has genuinely stretched this sedan for the market it's built for. It measures 5,175mm long with a 3,105mm wheelbase, it's being pitched as the largest car in its segment, with the roomiest back seat to match. Width comes in at 2,156mm and height at 1,520mm, giving it a low, planted stance despite the added length.

On the design front it comes with illuminated kidney grille that lit even when the car's parked, not just while driving. Twin-strip LED headlamps up front, L-shaped taillights with a "twin light" treatment at the back, and 20-inch alloy wheels round out an exterior that leans more understated-luxury than flashy. Buyers get four paint options: Mineral White, Phytonic Blue, Carbon Black and Oxide Grey. Inside the cabin everything is vegan, done in a Copper Brown and Atlas Grey combination as standard.

Battery, Motor And Range

Since this is the electric version of the 5 Series, the powertrain specs are really the headline. Here's how it breaks down:

A single motor drives the rear wheels here, and BMW's bundling in a Wallbox charger with home installation as standard a nice touch that a lot of rivals still charge extra for. On the ride quality front, an adaptive rear-axle air suspension is standard fit, aimed squarely at smoothing out the kind of roads this car will actually be driven on in India, and there's raised ground clearance to go with it.

Cabin Tech And Comfort Features

This is where BMW has clearly spent its effort, given who's likely buying this car. The cabin is built around two ideas at once: a tech-forward front seat experience for the owner-driver, and a lounge-like setup for whoever's being chauffeured around. Add in BMW's usual obsession with material detailing, and the i5 LWB ends up feeling less like a sedan interior and more like a business-class cabin on wheels.

Here are the key features on offer:

• 12.3-inch instrument screen + 14.9-inch touchscreen, Curved Display
• Illuminated Interaction Bar
• Panoramic glass roof with programmable LED lighting
• Four-zone climate control
• Bowers & Wilkins sound system- 17 speakers
• Wireless charging pads (front and rear) with USB-C
• Interior camera with MyBMW app recording
• Digital Key Plus, shareable with up to 18 users
• Intelligent Personal Assistant
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

BMW i5 LWB: Safety Package

On the safety front, the i5 LWB comes loaded rather than offering it as an add-on. Standard equipment includes eight airbags, Dynamic Stability Control with Cornering Brake Control, an electric parking brake with auto-hold, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. Moreover, the car gets Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go for traffic-heavy commutes, along with Parking Assistant, which bundles a surround-view camera, a reversing assistant and even fully remote parking via smartphone. Lane Change Warning and Cross Traffic Warning cover blind spots and intersections, while front and rear collision warning systems step in to flag potential impacts before they happen.

List just not ends here it continues with an Exit Warning function that alerts occupants to oncoming traffic before a door is opened, Active Pedestrian Protection, and an Attentiveness Assistant that keeps tabs on driver fatigue over longer drives.

Ownership Costs and Warranty

BMW is backing the i5 LWB with a standard two-year warranty (unlimited kilometres), extendable up to six years, and further stretchable to 10 years or 200,000km. The high-voltage battery pack specifically carries an eight-year or 160,000km warranty. Two years of round-the-clock roadside assistance comes bundled in, covering things like portable battery chargers and puncture kits for EV-specific breakdowns.

With local production now underway at Chennai, expect BMW to lean on this cost advantage as it goes after buyers who'd otherwise be cross-shopping the Mercedes EQE and other long-wheelbase luxury EVs in India.