BMW 5, now a plug-in hybrid, is a big rocket. What's the pure EV range like?

Hamilton Spectator

26-04-2025

Driving the new BMW M5, I am struck by how a car so big and heavy can be so fast. Compared to M5s of old, which were modest mid-size sedans, this car feels large. Supersized.
At more than five metres long, and with a curb weight of 2,445 kilograms, the all-new seventh gen. M5 sedan is big. Its 10.7 centimetres longer, 6.7 cm wider, and 474 kg heavier than its predecessor.
It's still a rocket.
This M5 posts a 0-100 km/h time of 3.5 seconds. I lean on the throttle and blast forward incredibly quickly, but in a manner that still feels smooth and linear. It's all very controlled. Calming, too.
The reason the M5 is still a very fast car is because it has a lot of power. As the previous generation did, it has a powerful 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Here, this produces 577 horsepower and 553 pounds-feet of torque, or motive force. These numbers are comparable to the previous version.
But what separates the new M5 from the old is hybridization. Yes, the M5 is now electrified, and is sold as a plug-in hybrid only. That's where its extra power comes from.
The electric motor, integrated into the M5's eight-speed automatic transmission, delivers an extra 194 hp and 207 lbs-ft. of torque. Total system output is rated at 717 hp and 738 lbs-ft. which is truly eye-popping for a mid-size sedan.
Beyond the addition of an electrical socket and power boost, BMW has cranked up the M5's high-tech credentials. Sitting behind the steering wheel, I gaze upon an array of screens, knobs and switches that are dazzling. Maybe a bit too dazzling, I think.
What do all these things do? Red steering wheel tabs labelled M1 and M2 are short cuts for stored settings that cover items such as throttle response, steering feel and chassis firmness. The driver can program these settings in various ways. The centre console houses a round iDrive controller for adjusting the infotainment screen, and there's a scroll wheel for volume. Plus!
The M5 ambience is immersive. Especially at night. Light pours out from everywhere in this car. There's an M light bar that runs through the dashboard and into the door panels illuminated in red and blue. When the hazard button is pushed, the strip flashes in all red. Doing makes me feel like I'm on an attack submarine in the deep Atlantic.
Then there's the BMW Curved Display, which consists of two screens. A main touch infotainment touch panel measures 14.9 inches and the instrument cluster is 12.3 inches. That's more than 27 inches of screen surface, and it's a lot to take in. These panels can be configured in numerous ways. And they govern a lot of the M5's functions. Too many, I think.
I go searching in vain for buttons or switches for basic items such as heated seats and heated steering wheel, but they're buried in the touchscreen. Finding them requires digging. And the distraction searching creates when the car is moving can be dangerous. The lower right corner of the screen contains some climate functions, but it requires a few presses. Mechanical buttons would work so much better for this stuff, I think.
But I'll admit these minor annoyances dissolve in my mind as soon as I fire up the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and shift the M5 into drive.
I'm not even in the sharpest Sport+ drive mode, and this purple missile is ready to launch in an instant. I didn't perform any controlled launches, but accelerating from rest at stop signs and traffic lights in the M5 can be exhilarating with remarkably little effort.
Sure, the electrification helps, but its 43 kilometres of pure EV range is depleted quickly. Most of the thrust I'm experiencing is from old fashioned rumbling V8 power. And it's a delight.
The M5's reflexes are still sharp. Accelerating, turning, and stopping are all on point. This car, even on winter tires, is nimbler than its spec sheet implies. I had to get used to its size, and drive to the weather conditions, but the M5's performance capabilities remain impressive.
And that's what lingers. Do I wish this M5 was a little more analogue? Yes. Is the electric range worth it for the bulk it adds? Probably not, but this car likely wouldn't meet European emissions standards without hybridization. And it previews the future of the M brand writ large. We should get used to it, in other words.
Is the M5 still fun to drive? It sure is.
Type:
Mid-size high-performance sedan; front-engine, all-wheel drive
Engine:
4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 plus lithium-ion battery, electric motor; 717 horsepower, 738 pounds-feet of torque, or motive force
Transmission:
Eight-speed automatic
Fuel
(Premium 91+): 20.4 litres/100 km in the city; 13.5l/100 km on the highway; 17.3l/100 km combined
Cargo:
466 litres, or 16.5 cubic feet
Price:
$135,000; $158,900 as tested, plus $2,480 freight